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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma handled this journey to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the probable outcome. Yet, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of this standing. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock Roma in front. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been quietened nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a takeover of Rangers. 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’ leadership is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance from close range which he somehow hit up and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The raft 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 Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.