In contrast, this was another chastening afternoon for Johansson and Motherwell.
Replacing Jens Berthel Askou and dealing with the departures of key players such as Stephen Welsh, Elijah Just and Elliot Watt was never going to be a straightforward task, but Johansson needs a result quickly.
The hosts’ best moments in attack came after Ibrahim Said was brought on as a substitute for the anonymous Willy Vogt. The Nigerian attacking midfielder brought a much-needed spark, but even then, chances of note were few and far between.
Johansson has made no secret of his desire to play attractive, high-energy football, but they were alarmingly open at times.
Celtic had 19 shots in the hosts’ box and Paulsen was exposed time and again, making 12 saves in total.
That is eight goals conceded in Motherwell’s past three matches – a trend Johansson needs to address quickly if they are to arrest their slide.
They go to Kilmarnock next weekend before three games in six days finish the month, against Hearts, St Johnstone and St Mirren.