Asked on Friday whether it was crucial for Rangers to put pressure on their rivals by winning before they met, Derek McInnes insisted it was far too early to discuss turning up the heat in the title race.
With only the opening lap of the Premiership campaign still to be completed, the Rangers manager had a valid point.
Even so, this result will feel like a missed opportunity for the Ibrox side as they prepare to watch Celtic and Hearts face each other at Parkhead.
Despite a miserable few days, Martin O’Neill’s team will still begin the match at the top of the table and could extend their advantage. If they do, Rangers will have only themselves to blame.
If Rangers are to dethrone their city rivals by May, they cannot afford to squander too many opportunities like this one.
Without European football to distract them this season, McInnes’ players are likely to be first into action on plenty of weekends, at least until January.
Unless they make the most of those chances to apply pressure, it is difficult to see their title challenge remaining on track.
Callum Jones fires past Ivor Pandur to restore Dundee’s parity at 2-2
It was a sobering evening for Rangers. Since that painful night when they were beaten on penalties by Jablonec, they had put together eight consecutive victories, including seven in the Premiership.
But they failed to do enough to claim a ninth win and move into first place in the Premiership overnight.
Dundee deserve credit. Steven Pressley could almost fill a hospital ward with his injured players at present, yet his depleted squad somehow fought out wins over Motherwell and Falkirk. This point will feel like another significant boost for a team moving in the right direction.
For McInnes, it was a deeply frustrating contest. He saw Badredine Bouanani and Nico Raskin score outstanding goals, only for two mistakes to cost his side dearly.
The first came from an unusually poor error by Dujon Sterling, whose lapse allowed Bradley Fink to put Dundee ahead.
After Rangers had done the difficult part by taking the lead, Dan Neil made a dreadful mistake on the edge of his own penalty area, presenting Callum Jones with the chance to level an absorbing match.
Kim consoles Neil after his mistake handed Jones the opportunity to equalise
Dundee made the brighter start. Drey Wright’s clever pass over the top created their first opening, but Ash Hay’s heavy touch allowed the chance to slip away without troubling Ivor Pandur.
Hay’s influence in linking the play was clear when he chested the ball into Alan Forrest’s path. However, Pandur was comfortably behind the winger’s weak effort.
The hosts won three corners in the early stages, and Pressley will have been frustrated that they failed to exploit them. Ryan Astley’s effort, which went straight at Pandur, was the closest they came to making one count.
Rangers were finding it difficult to break through. Bouanani did well to reach the byline and send a driven ball across the face of goal, but Dundee goalkeeper Owen Goodman stuck out a leg to snuff out the danger.
By the time a third of the match had passed, Dundee looked the more dangerous team. Pandur had to tip Astley’s long-range header over the bar before Hay rattled the crossbar with a header from Ethan Hamilton’s corner.
Bouanani threaded a gem of a ball between two Dundee defenders to pick out Sterling. There was nothing wrong with the cutback. There was plenty wrong with Neil’s attempt to convert when the ball fell to him just inside the box. His strike lacked conviction and accuracy.
Pandur’s latest attempt to build from the back by playing a straight ball to Kim Min-su was risky. Hamilton nipped in and fired just wide of the Croatian’s goal.
Coming on 37 minutes, Dundee’s opener was hardly ill-deserved. A long ball found the Rangers defence at sixes and sevens. Hay strived to get it under control. Just when it seemed to be getting away from him, Sterling intervened with a loose touch and inadvertently knocked it into Fink’s path.
The Swiss thought about chipping the keeper, sidestepped him and found the net via the inside of the near post.
Fink rolls the ball into an empty net after rounding Pandur to open the scoring
Rangers were immediately grateful for the pace of Olwethu Makhanya as he lengthened his stride to prevent Joe Bevan making it two.
The visitors then awoke from their slumbers, levelling two minutes from half-time.
Kim’s initial shot was blocked by Owen Bevan. When the ball was recycled to Bouanani on the right, the winger’s first attempt was charged down by Imari Samuels.
Undaunted, the Algerian curled the ball into the top left corner to ensure his side were level at the break. For all it took a slight deflection, it was a brilliant hit. Quite the moment for the winger to claim his first Rangers goal.
Disjointed and careless on the ball for 45 minutes, there was an expectation that Rangers would improve after the break. This was not misplaced.
Kim’s dancing feet opened up the target. His shot was inches wide.
The forward then cushioned the ball into Bouanani’s path with his chest. Goodman did well to tip the shot away for a corner.
Djeidi Gassama was next to work the Dundee keeper with a low shot through a packed penalty box.
When Dundee finally came up for air, Fink met Jones’ free-kick at the back post. He ought to have got more on his header.
Rangers completed the turnaround on the hour mark. It was another peach. Taking the ball from Neil 25 yards out, Raskin must have been the only man in the ground who thought that shooting was his best option. What did the rest of us know?
Lashing the ball in off the underside of the crossbar with very little back-lift, it was a stunning contribution from the Belgian.
Raskin fires home a spectacular effort to put Rangers in front in the second half
McInnes seemingly had the response he wanted. Bouanani forced Goodman into another fine stop.
Dundee needed to produce something special to level. Failing that, an error by a Rangers player would have been just as welcome. Step forward Neil.
Trying to control a routine ball on the edge of his own box, the midfielder completely fluffed his lines, a heavy touch giving Jones the chance to pounce.
Alert to the situation, the midfielder took full advantage. Having taken one touch to put himself in control of the situation, he slotted home beyond the advancing Pandur. Neil could only look to the heavens.
Rangers huffed and puffed thereafter. They could have no complaints as their winning run ended.
