Matías Soulé along with Pellegrini on target as Roma overpower Glasgow Rangers

There was admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side handled this journey to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious difference in class between Roma and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was settled as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will shortly have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential though within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite decent performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which greeted the interval were subdued; the home team were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ 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 presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to consider how on earth the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of just participating.