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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between Roma and a Rangers side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. However, the game was settled as a competition at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly spell as the manager lasted 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 technical areas witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

Another element was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the visitors looked ominous. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team without 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 pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period started against a curious backdrop. Supporters turned their attentions for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an low-profile career as a successful businessman in the US before leading a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a rebellious mood in the air. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and on to the bottom of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this game ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.