Despite being second best in that opening period, Celtic still fashioned some decent openings, with Arne Engels blasting over from 10 yards after being teed up by Daizen Maeda.
While Brendan Rodgers’ side were at their scintillating best against RB Leipzig, this was a challenge of a different kind. They struggled for long spells to find their normal fluency.
The Scottish champions were missing a spark and it looked most likely to come from Nicolas Kuhn. One clever dink into the box narrowly evaded Kyogo, while another found the head of Reo Hatate, but he could only divert his effort straight at the keeper.
Maeda’s goal was a fleeting moment of class in a game in which the home side struggled to impose themselves.
The Japan international broke into the box and did brilliantly to chop back inside on his right foot and curl a lovely finish beyond Simon Mignolet and in off the post.
It was a wonderful goal and one that could prove crucial in the final shake-up.
Celtic started to turn the screw and it was they who were pushing late on for a winner, but to no avail.
While Celtic would have targeted three points from this one when the fixtures were released, Rodgers may well be satisfied with a point in the end.
With away fixtures in Zagreb and Villa Park either side of a home match against Young Boys, Celtic know their destiny is still in their own hands as they aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2013.