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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the game was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of this standing. Roma have eyes again on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential though within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a set-piece at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire his team ahead. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half possession thereafter. Roma 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. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling in the air. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, difficult to gauge the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and onto the bottom of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The series of changes from each side meant this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of just participating.