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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this journey to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the probable option. However, the game was settled as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period possession from that point. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were subdued; Rangers were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, showed the pair with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the club owner makes of the situation. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; The team’s leadership is completely unimpressive.

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 the home side’s best period of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were involved. The series of substitutions from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of just participating.