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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this journey 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. There was a glaring difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic 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 corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the teams lined up. The home team’s obvious short stature against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for bluntness even with decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period possession thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in message, showed the duo with targets on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about the situation. After all, the chairman had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not targeted the owner yet but there is a rebellious mood in the air. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, however, difficult to determine the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.