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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid on the right path. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a Rangers squad 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 contest by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the sides took the field. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a set-piece at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire Roma in front. A Roma team minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but seems unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner makes of all this. After all, the chairman had an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of this club. Fans have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s best period of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of changes from each side meant this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.