Martin O’Neill takes cheeky swipe at Julian Araujo as footage emerges after Celtic win vs Kilmarnock
Martin O’Neill had Julian Araujo laughing gleefully in the aftermath of Celtic’s 3-2 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.
The 73-year-old gatecrashed Araujo’s post-match interview with a cheeky comment, after he had watched the right-back slam home a 97th-minute winner for his team at Rugby Park.
The goal gave the Bhoys’ Scottish Premiership title hopes a major boost, as they are now just three points off the top of the table with a game in hand on both Rangers and Hearts.
However, things could have been very different for them on Sunday, had goals from Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren not see them battle back from a two-goal first-half deficit.
O’Neill’s side did things the hard way yet again, but the veteran boss still saw the funny side of what was a stressful afternoon following the full-time whistle.
Martin O’Neill gatecrashes Julian Araujo interview
O’Neill would have been fearing the worst when his team went into the half-time interval two goals down on Sunday, but their fortunes quickly turned around in the second period.
Celtic mounted an impressive comeback to keep pace at the top of the division, and their efforts culminated in a stoppage-time winner for a second successive game.
The Glasgow giants have been fighting to the death to keep themselves in the title race of late, and this time it was Araujo who was on hand to lash the ball into the roof of the net to secure the three points in the dying embers.
It was a hugely stress-filled situation for O’Neill and his team, but it was clear that the boss was still able to see the lighter side of the afternoon after his time had secured the result they needed.
Araujo was being interviewed for Celtic TV on the side of the pitch at Rugby Park after full-time, when O’Neill walked past and cheekily said to the interviewer: “Ask him about his first-half performance.”
Footage shared on X showed the 24-year-old laughing in response to his manager’s suggestion, before adding “We’ll talk about that later.”
Araujo’s impactful stats in Celtic win vs Kilmarnock
O’Neill’s swipe at Araujo pointed towards the poor first half that he endured on the right of the Celtic backline, but in truth, it was a sub-par effort across the board from the visitors before the break.
However, their fortunes flipped on their head in the second half, and Araujo was at the centre of everything good about their comeback.
| Stats | Araujo Total | Game Rank |
| Touches | 83 | 2nd |
| Accurate Passes | 46/55 (84%) | 2nd |
| Key Passes | 4 | 2nd |
| Duels Won | 4/9 (44%) | =9th |
| Defensive Contributions | 7 | =5th |
The two full-backs were influential in the turnaround, with only Kieran Tierney able to better Araujo’s totals of 83 touches and 46 accurate passes, according to Sofascore.
However, the Mexico international also used the ball effectively, as he played four key passes throughout the 90 minutes, helping to create plenty of chances for his teammates.
He remained solid on the other side of the ball as well, as he made seven defensive contributions to help his team avoid another concession after their poor start to the game.
O’Neill’s suggestion was clearly made in jest more than anything, as Araujo was one of the biggest influences on a game that could prove crucial for Celtic at the end of the campaign.