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There was admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the match was settled as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have eyes once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a result that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors without the unavailable their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have equalised instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half the ball thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which greeted the interval were subdued; the home team were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, showed the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he somehow hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. There was cause to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the stage of just participating.