Visitors Rangers however had every right to feel hard-done-by given that they were on the receiving end of some contentious refereeeing decisions from the inexperienced Calum Murray - an official who clearly had been intimidated by the hostility and hatred emanating from the home support.
Two banners prominently displayed at the Light Blue end echoed the sad news in midweek of the death of well-known Rangers fan Garry Lynch - 'RIP GADGER' and 'REMEMBER THE GADGER'.
'Gers Boss Walter Smith made three changes from the Milan friendly with Kirk Broadfoot, Steve Davis and Barry Ferguson replacing Steven Whittaker, Maurice Edu and Steven Naismith.
Rangers almost made a lightning start when John Fleck's driven cross was touched away from the inrushing Kyle Lafferty by Artur Boruc in three minutes.
Four minutes later Scott Brown scythed down Davis in a quite appalling tackle that perhaps merited a straight red card - but certainly a yellow. Calum Murray however incredibly contented himself with a lecture.
Scott McDonald might have opened the scoring in fourteen minutes when he headed a Willo Flood cross wide of goal.
Celtic were by far the more physical - underlined by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink who committed five fouls in the opening twenty minutes before eventually being spoken to by the referee.
The Dutchman finally received a long-overdue yellow card in 35 minutes when he kicked Allan McGregor as the goalkeeper gathered the ball. David Weir was also cautioned for his part in the affray that followed - but it was hard to understand how the Celtic forward remained on the park.
The half ended goalless - but Rangers were almost gifted the lead four minutes after the restart when Madjid Bougherra's cross was headed towards his own net by Stephen McManus only for Boruc to touch the ball wide.
Boruc again kept his goal intact in 56 minutes when he held a Lafferty drive from a Davis break.
Two minutes later Ferguson might have done better than slice the ball wide after a long ball from Davis was nodded into his path by Lafferty.
Just before the hour Kenny Miller replaced Fleck - and the substitute was involved in the game's major controversy in 68 minutes when he was scythed down in the act of shooting by McManus after being put clear by a clever Davis backheel following good work on the right by Broadfoot.
Five minutes later Lafferty limped off injured to be replaced by Naismith, who was soon involved with Brown in an incident where both were cautioned.
It was all Rangers now - in 78 minutes a Pedro Mendes corner was met by Weir whose header was turned away by Boruc.
Celtic might have stolen it right at the death when a typical piece of simulation by McDonald won a free-kick 22 yards out. McGregor however was equal to the task, pushing away Shunsuke Nakamura's effort.
The home side had escaped with a goalless draw - and afterwards Walter Smith reflected:
"We didn't play well - but had the better of the second-half. Celtic Park is never an easy place to come to - but we restricted our opponents to one effort on target."
CELTIC Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor; Flood (McGeady 60), S. Brown (Crosas 82), Hartley, Nakamura; McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 60)
UNUSED SUBS M. Brown, Loovens, O'Dea, Hutchinson
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Davis, Ferguson, McCulloch, Mendes, Fleck (Miller 58); Lafferty (Naismith 73)
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Whittaker, Aaron, Boyd, Edu
REFEREE Calum Murray