Arne Engels’ last-gasp penalty got Celtic out of jail because up to that point it had been Dundee who had been spot on.

The Belgian came off the bench and sickened the home side with a late equaliser. The champions managed to come away with a point but they were lucky, very lucky. Brendan Rodgers ’ side stretched their lead at the top but it wasn’t a performance of a team who are 16 points clear. It had been in the first half when Luke McCowan had looked to make it a happy homecoming with the opener, although Oluwaseun Adewumi netted before the interval.

The Hoops took an early second-half lead through Yang Hyun-jun but from there Dundee grabbed the game by the scuff of the neck. They levelled through a Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal and went ahead through an Aaron Donnelly header. Tony Docherty and his side will take all the plaudits but will wonder how they didn’t take all the points.

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It has been 37 years since they last beat Celtic at Dens and 45 games since they got the better of the Glasgow side. The Dark Blues saw the importance of an early goal against Rangers and tried to repeat that feat from kick-off.

Donnelly launched a long throw into the box and Simon Murray got his head on it but didn’t generate enough power to beat Kasper Schmeichel. It was another former favourite who showed his old team how it was done.

Greg Taylor, making his 200th appearance, provided the cross for McCowan to net on his return to Dens. McCowan actually started the move when he found the left-back and Taylor waited, allowing the midfielder to charge into the Dundee box unmarked. He got in behind Donnelly to head the ball into the far corner past Trevor Carson in the sixth minute.

It was a well-worked goal from a Celtic point of view. From a Dundee viewpoint it was a disaster. The Hoops suddenly had the advantage and took a major lift from it, with their side knocking it about like they always do in their little triangles.

Adam Idah headed wide then another lightning break saw Yang find Kyogo Furuhashi and he crossed for the big Irishman who couldn’t get a connection on it. Dundee hardly caused any issues although hitman Murray accidentally left Auston Trusty, who was behind him, on the deck with an outstretched arm.

The Hoops continued to dominate and Paulo Bernando got his head on an Alistair Johnston cross but his header came back off the top of the bar and McCowan had another low shot that was saved by Carson. It was one-way traffic before Dundee delivered a 41st-minute sucker punch.

It came from a Celtic corner where Carter-Vickers, bizarrely, headed it away from goal. Murray showed determination to pick it up on the edge of the box and charged forward through a couple of challenges.

He then played it out to Fin Robertson who produced the perfect pass for Adewumi to run on to. Johnston backed off and the attacker coolly curled the ball low past Schmeichel. Rodgers and Celtic were left wondering how the game was still level as they trooped back up the tunnel.

Johnston had a chance to instantly redeem himself right after the restart but blew that as well. Bernardo’s in-swinging free-kick found him unmarked at the back post but he wasn’t able to make a connection. Celtic were dictating the play and took the lead again in the 53rd minute. Kyogo put in a low cross from the left. Carson got a hand on it but pushed it into the air for Yang to head in at the back stick.

You would have expected normal service to resume, it didn’t. The visitors had barely celebrated their goal when Dundee stunned them by equalising 60 seconds later. Murray pushed the ball on to Josh Mulligan and he charged up the right and put in a great cross that Carter-Vickers tried to clear. But the defender slid in with his wrong foot and clumsily knocked it past Schmeichel.

The champions were suddenly the team on the back foot. They looked a shadow of the side from the first half.

Adewumi cracked a shot wide, Ethan Ingram headed past a post from a good position and Robertson curled a free-kick just off target. Rodgers knew Dundee were taking a grip and he made a triple change just after the hour.

Nicolas Kuhn, Engels and Reo Hatate were introduced for Idah, McCowan and Bernardo. This time it wasn’t a case of them emptying the tank, it was a case of Celtic running out of gas.

Alex Valle and Luis Palma were also introduced with Taylor and Yang making way. Ingram showed determination to force Johnston to concede a corner. It was an uneasy night for the normally reliable Canadian.

Trusty went down before the set-piece was taken, after Donnelly had stood on his foot. That was nothing compared to the sore one the big defender was about to land. Robertson’s corner found Donnelly at the back stick to head home in the 79th minute.

Celtic pushed and left two at the back but all they could muster was a couple of Engels efforts that were off target. The board went up for four minutes and the Hoops again showed their powers of recovery.

Kuhn’s shot was blocked by the hand of Mo Sylla. Ref Don Robertson pointed to the spot and Engels stepped up to send Carson the wrong way.