Maciej Zurawski took the credit for a goal in each half as Celtic edged past a spirited Motherwell side with a 2-1 win in the Bank of Scotland Premier League at Parkhead.
The Poland international twice ran on to Shunsuke Nakamura passes to score, although his first was helped in by Stephen Craigan as the Well defender and team-mate Mark Reynolds both tried to clear.
Motherwell had their fair share of possession and Scott McDonald gave them hope with 13 minutes left but Celtic held on despite some nervous moments.
Celtic full-backs Lee Naylor and Paul Telfer recovered from knocks as Hoops boss Gordon Strachan named the same side which swept aside Benfica in the Champions League.
Well were unchanged from the side that had won their last two games.
Motherwell defender Reynolds just stopped Kenny Miller latching on to an Evander Sno pass early on but the visitors were undone by another through ball in the 16th minute.
Nakamura slipped Zurawski past a square Well defence and he took the ball round Colin Meldrum just outside the box and side-footed it towards goal.
But Craigan and Reynolds became entangled with each other and the Northern Ireland international helped the ball into the net.
Well's response was swift and McDonald fired a shot across the face of goal
And the unmarked Steven McGarry missed a great chance to level when he headed a cross from Dubliner Richie Foran into the ground and over from 10 yards.
Nakamura ran at the Well defence but Meldrum got down comfortably to hold his 20-yard drive.
The hosts were enjoying some good possession around the half-hour mark and Craigan was forced to flash a header wide of his own post after a corner. Miller blazed over from 15 yards after Well failed to clear a Nakamura cross.
But the visitors were not finished and Artur Boruc brilliantly pushed Calum Elliot's powerful 20-yard strike past his top corner.
A minute later, McDonald curled a shot just past the far post after turning inside the box. Maloney fired home from close range just before the break but ref Alan Freeland ruled Miller had handled Zurawski's cross.
Well started the second half as they did the first and got McDonald on a one-on-one with Stephen McManus on the left wing. The Australian forced the defender to retreat but shot a couple of yards over from just outside the box.
A fit-again Aiden McGeady replaced Maloney on the hour mark as Well pressed.
But Celtic got their second against the run of play in the 66th minute when Nakamura again sent Zurawski racing past the Well defence and the Pole slipped the ball home from 10 yards.
Miller made way for Jiri Jarosik to a standing ovation after another tireless shift and Well brought on David Clarkson for Elliot.
McDonald got Well back in it with 13 minutes left when he fired the ball high into the net at the back post after Reynolds had headed on Brian Kerr's free-kick from the left.
Clarkson looked lively as Well harried the home defence in search of an equaliser and McGarry's cross across the face of goal caused panic before bypassing everyone.
Former Well player Stephen Pearson shot just wide from the edge of the box after replacing Sno.
The visitors tried to get the ball forward quickly but Celtic managed to break out of their own half to close down the game.
