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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this journey to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when putting their European competition bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams lined up. The home team’s obvious short stature against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. The visitors minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled opening period possession from that point. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, typically a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in tone, showed the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s leadership is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute 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 shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until the full-back was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and on to the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this fixture ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.