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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma handled this journey to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their European competition bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the match was settled as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions 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.

Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will shortly have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire Roma ahead. A Roma team without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness despite decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half possession from that point. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; the home team were clearly in the process of being outclassed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is easy to understand; The team’s leadership is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and on to the bottom of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of just participating.