Celtic 2 Dunfermline 1
A double from Henrik Larsson handed Celtic their first three points of the campaign against Dunfermline, but it was not the emphatic victory Martin O'Neill's men had come to expect against the Pars.
Substitute Gary Dempsey pulled a goal back for the visitors with 16 minutes remaining, forcing Celtic to endure a nervous end to the game.
This may only have been the first game of a long and eventful campaign for all 12 teams involved in the Scottish Premier League.
But much of the pre-season talk from the Celtic and Rangers camps centred around starting the season well and the importance of avoiding dropped points early in the term - and Celtic made the better early impression.
The signs for Celtic looked good. They kicked-off the campaign against Dunfermline - a team the Hoops had scored 10 goals against in their last two meetings at Parkhead.
Once the league championship flag had been unfurled and plc chairman Brian Quinn's message of congratulations had been delivered, Celtic's defence of the title began in earnest.
Celtic attacked the Pars' goal within three minutes of the game starting, when Henrik Larsson cheekily back-heeled the ball to Momo Sylla but his pass to Stilian Petrov was intercepted by the Dunfermline defence.
Seconds later, Larsson was playing the provider role again when he played the ball to Chris Sutton but, despite being just outside the six-yard box, the former Chelsea striker stabbed the ball just past the post.
Three minutes later, Larsson met a header from Bobo Balde but his shot was parried by Pars goalkeeper Marco Ruitenbeek. The ball fell back into the path of the Hoops striker but he sent the rebound over the crossbar.
Dunfermline's best chance in the opening 45 minutes came when a blunder by Bobo Balde six minutes before the interval gifted possession to Craig Brewster and he lined the ball up for Gary Mason - but the Pars player sent the ball well over the bar.
Sutton was unlucky not to open the scoring a few minutes later when he picked up on the rebound from a Petrov shot and fired the ball towards goal only to watch in agony as his effort cannoned off Andrius Skerla.
With the game inching towards half-time and the scoreline still level, the Pars would have been concerned about Celtic's ability to grab a goal right on the stroke of half-time - a trick they produced often enough last season.
And Calderwood's side would have been correct to have been worried. A Bobby Petta corner five minutes before the interval found Larsson inside the six-yard box and he rose, unchallenged, to bullet home a header from just a few yards out.
Neither side made any changes at half-time and both started the second half slowly, with Dunfermline having the first chance on the hour when Jason Dair played the ball on to Crawford - but his effort was easily held by Douglas.
A minute later, Celtic were threatening and Petta tried his luck with a shot, only to see the effort blocked.
Sylla picked up on the rebound and crossed into the path of Larsson - but his header was deflected wide for a corner.
Just seconds later, the striker was given another chance to grab his second goal of the day when he met a pass from Sutton but he bulleted the shot over.
With 65 minutes gone, Larsson doubled Celtic's advantage.
Petta was fouled by Mason but Dallas signalled for play to continue and the ball broke to Larsson. He produced a delightful lob to send the ball over Ruitenbeek and into the back of the net.
Pars boss Jimmy Calderwood opted to replace Sean Kilgannon with Gary Dempsey after 73 minutes and the substitution proved to be an inspired decision.
Dempsey had been on the park for only a minute when he pulled a goal back for Dunfermline. He spotted Douglas well off his line and took advantage by lobbing the ball high over the Celtic goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Dair became the second Dunfermline player to be booked after 76 minutes when he clashed with Larsson. The striker required treatment but was soon able to continue.
Shortly after, Larsson was replaced by former Livingston striker David Fernandez, who was given his chance to make his competitive debut for the club.
With just three minutes remaining, Dunfermline were unlucky not to take a share of the points when Douglas was forced into a superb save to deny a thunderbolt effort from Nicholson.
Celtic: Douglas, Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren, Sylla, Lennon, Lambert Petrov, Petta (Crainey 89), Sutton, Larsson (Fernandez 83)
Dunfermline: Ruitenbeek, Bullen, Skerla, Thomson, Dair, Hampshire (Walker 73), Mason, Nicholso, Kilgannon (Dempsey 73), Brewster, Crawford