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There was impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, however, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was settled as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager 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 technical areas saw a clash of generations; Röhl is 36, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma dominated opening period possession thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; the home team were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in tone, depicted the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour 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 shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.