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Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches consecutively.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the game was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock his team in front. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half possession thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously menacing in message, showed the pair with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a acquisition of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to determine the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until the full-back was presented with a chance from close range which he inexplicably hit up and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the point of just participating.