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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma handled this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the game was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have major consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a corner at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team ahead. The visitors without the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the top executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, clearly sinister in message, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner makes of the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of changes from each side resulted in this fixture closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of just participating.