🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way Roma handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the game was decided as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock Roma in front. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with decent performances in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have equalised immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma dominated opening period possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a unusual atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with targets on their images. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about the situation. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to gauge Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this game closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians perfectly. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of just participating.