This was the first meeting between Celtic and Lazio, which did not stop them behaving as if old foes in a gripping encounter. What Celtic lacked in guile they made up for with spirit and it delivered three points. Celtic’s position at the top of Group E has been strengthened before an eagerly anticipated trip to Rome early next month.

Lazio will be frustrated at not taking a point from a match to which they contributed so heavily. The winner came when Christopher Jullien rose to meet an 89th-minute Ryan Christie corner and planted the ball beyond Thomas Strakosha. In the madness that followed, there was time for a magnificent Fraser Forster save from a Danilo Cataldi volley. After the dust had settled, the Lazio manager, Simone Inzaghi, dubbed Forster’s actions a “miracle”.

Neil Lennon was equally effusive. “I think Lazio were superb,” the Celtic manager said. “Fraser pulled off outstanding saves. It has been an epic night for the players and the club. To go toe to toe with Lazio and come away with three points is a huge shot in the arm for this team.” To his credit Lennon did not claim Celtic played at close to their best.

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The match opened at vertiginous pace and barely calmed down thereafter. Neither team could retain possession during the first 20 minutes. Celtic came the closer to an opening goal when Christie’s 25-yard drive clipped the outside of a Lazio post.

The ragged template was maintained until the interval. Celtic generally lacked the fluency they had shown in swatting aside Cluj. Lazio were reasonably comfortable when defending, while their attacking threat was not particularly evident until the 39th minute. Callum McGregor was the next Celtic player to fire wide from long range, 38 minutes in, with what appeared a clear deflection from a Lazio defender ignored by the referee.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Manuel Lazzari beast Fraser Forster. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

That decision was to prove significant. Lazio launched a rapid counterattack that culminated in Manuel Lazzari slamming high beyond Forster from an acute angle with a high-quality finish.

Lazio were roused by Lazzari’s ferocious intervention. Joaquín Correa had an opportunity to double the advantage 10 minutes after the restart but dallied and was dispossessed by Jullien. Correa was wasteful again moments later as he failed to find Felipe Caicedo, who was bearing down on goal.

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Odsonne Édouard, with his first meaningful act, took advantage of Strakosha’s wandering from the Lazio goal. With the keeper stranded, Édouard backheeled to Christie. The midfielder’s first-time effort was blocked by a defender’s despairing dive. That Lazio had created their own problem rather summed up Celtic’s bluntness in the first hour.

Correa passed up the chance that would surely have settled the tie in Lazio’s favour. Celtic’s central defence, far from convincing at any stage, allowed the striker to march towards goal as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic found his teammate with a pass. Correa watched his effort beat the advancing Forster but bounce back from a post.

How Celtic punished Lazio for that generosity. Édouard unselfishly found Christie inside the penalty area and the latter clipped home in the composed fashion that has become typical. Strangely, this equaliser had arrived at a juncture in the game where Celtic had appeared vulnerable.

Neither team were content to settle for parity. Inzaghi demonstrated ambition by introducing the prolific Ciro Immobile 17 minutes from time. Marco Parolo should have edged Lazio back in front but Forster made an excellent save with his feet. Jullien delivered the next, fatal blow to Inzaghi.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose,” Lazio’s manager said. “But for an incredible stop from the goalkeeper, we wouldn’t have.”