Super-sub Moussa Dembele scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to seal a 2-1 win for Celtic over FC Astana on Wednesday and send the Glasgow giants into the Champions League play-off round with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Leigh Griffiths, who scored in the 1-1 first-leg draw in Kazakhstan last week, fired home a spot-kick in first-half stoppage time which was just reward for a dominant opening-period display from the Hoops.

However, a moment of madness from goalkeeper Craig Gordon handed the Kazakh champions a 62nd-minute equaliser through substitute Agim Ibraimi.

The game looked to be heading to extra time before Dembele was up-ended in the box by Igor Shitov, who saw red for a second booking.

Dembele, a summer signing from Fulham, fired home the resultant penalty for his first goal for the Hoops which sends them a step closer to the lucrative group stages for the first time in three years.

The visitors had set up with three central defenders and two sitting midfielders to stifle Celtic and the Hoops struggled to break them down in the early stages.

It took until the 22nd minute for any meaningful attempt with Scott Brown going for the spectacular from a Stuart Armstrong corner but the Celtic captain sent his acrobatic volley over the bar.

A minute later Griffiths went close from 20 yards out as he took a touch with his back to goal before spinning and sending a fierce strike narrowly wide.

With the game heading to the break goalless, a crazy challenge from Astana's Abzal Beysebekov handed Celtic a penalty as he brought down Kieran Tierney on the edge of the box.

The Astana players furiously protested that the incident was outside the area with Dmitri Shomko and Junior Kabananga booked for dissent before Griffiths sent the 'keeper the wrong way to bury his spot-kick.

Celtic were given a scare in the 56th minute when Roger Canas headed into an empty net after Gordon had raced off his line and missed a deep free-kick into the box, but the offside flag was immediately raised much to the relief of the home support.

Sensing that Astana were gaining a foothold in the game, home manager Brendan Rodgers brought on former Liverpool defender Kolo Toure for his debut in an attempt to shore up the defence.

However, the veteran could do nothing to prevent the visitors equalising two minutes later.

Seemingly having learned nothing from his earlier error, Gordon came racing out of his box to head a long ball away but his attempted clearance landed at substitute Ibraimi who sent a looping first-time shot over the retreating 'keeper and into the net from 25 yards out.

Rodgers sent on Dembele in the 75th minute and with time running out he earned his side a penalty, which he duly converted, after being hauled down by Shitov, to take the Hoops through.