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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the game was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions again on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will shortly have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock his team ahead. A Roma team minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness despite decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have levelled matters instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession from that point. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were clearly in the process of being outclassed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, difficult to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until the full-back was given a opportunity from close range 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 resulted in this game closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. There was cause to consider how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.