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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma handled this journey to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the game was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of this standing. Roma have ambitions again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will soon have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the Italians looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for bluntness despite reasonable performances in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s £8m signing from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated opening period the ball thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, the chairman had an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, however, hard to determine the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this game closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians perfectly. There was cause to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.