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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will shortly have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

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 the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. The visitors without the unavailable their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite decent results in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in message, showed the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. After all, the chairman had an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. It is one which is unsurprising; The team’s leadership is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, hard to determine the visitors’ continued 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 bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams meant this game closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. There was cause to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of just participating.