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Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the probable outcome. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team in front. A Roma team minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on European nights, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, depicted the duo with targets on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of substitutions from each side resulted in this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.