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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely option. Yet, the game was settled as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have major ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for just over four months in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a corner at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire his team in front. A Roma team minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness despite decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a raucous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. After all, the chairman had an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, however, difficult to gauge the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a chance from close range which he somehow hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The series of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, finalists in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of making up the numbers.