Camilo Duran scored twice as Celtic maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership with a hard-fought victory over Falkirk following a difficult week for the champions.
Celtic entered the contest looking to respond after their Champions League play-off defeat by LASK, and Duran provided the lift Martin O'Neill's side needed with two first-half goals.
The Colombian opened the scoring after goalkeeper Scott Bain failed to deal with a routine ball in behind.
Duran reacted quickest to the mistake and converted, with the goal eventually confirmed following a review.
Celtic doubled their advantage before the interval when Kieran Tierney delivered from the left and Duran used his strength to hold off the Falkirk defence before finishing from close range.
The hosts were without injured captain Callum McGregor and Kasper Hogh, while Haissem Hassan was handed his first Celtic start.
Despite falling two goals behind, Falkirk refused to surrender and improved significantly after half-time.
Jacob Murrell broke through Celtic's defensive line and forced Viljami Sinisalo into a save, but the rebound struck Colby Donovan and ended up in the net for an own goal.
The strike gave Falkirk renewed hope, although Celtic managed the closing stages well enough to prevent the visitors from completing their comeback.
The victory gives O'Neill's side maximum points from their opening three Premiership matches as they continue the defence of their league title.
The disappointment surrounding Celtic's Champions League exit was evident before kick-off, with supporters displaying a banner reading "World Class Embarrassment" in response to another play-off failure.
With European disappointment still fresh, maintaining their perfect domestic record became even more important.
Celtic ultimately achieved that objective, although the performance was far from convincing.
Duran proved decisive, reacting sharply to Bain's mistake for the opener before showing his physical strength and finishing ability for the second.
With Hogh unavailable, the Colombian demonstrated that he can provide a genuine threat through the middle after previously impressing in wider positions.
Hassan also offered encouragement on his first start.
Despite not yet being at full match fitness, he regularly looked to attack defenders and showed a willingness to take risks during his hour on the pitch.
However, Celtic will be disappointed that they allowed Falkirk back into the contest after establishing a two-goal advantage.
The champions never looked completely comfortable until the final whistle, but after the disappointment of their European elimination, three points were ultimately what mattered most.
Falkirk's game plan suffered an early setback when Bain's mistake gifted Celtic the opening goal.
John McGlynn's side had clearly hoped to frustrate the champions during the opening stages before looking for opportunities to attack, but conceding cheaply forced them to adjust.
To their credit, Falkirk responded well and managed to restrict Celtic for long periods before Duran added his second.
They were punished for allowing too much space on that occasion, with Celtic's greater quality and execution proving the difference.
Falkirk continued to compete after the interval and deservedly found a route back into the match when Murrell raced behind the Celtic defence.
His effort was saved by Sinisalo before the ball rebounded off Donovan and into the net.
That goal ensured Celtic remained under pressure until the closing stages, although Falkirk were unable to find the equaliser.
While their early points return may be disappointing, McGlynn can take encouragement from another competitive performance as his squad continues to integrate several new arrivals.
