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There was admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven European games in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the game was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal spell as the head coach lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the Italians looked worrying. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness even with decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half the ball thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were timid; the home team 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 club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in tone, showed the pair with bullseyes on their faces. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, hard to determine Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was given a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams resulted in this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to consider how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.