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There was impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side handled this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent 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 that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will shortly have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the early part of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring short stature against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team without the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for bluntness even with decent results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s £8m signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period 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 Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in message, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s remaining offensive intent until the full-back was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The series of changes from each side meant this fixture closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of making up the numbers.