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There was admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side dealt with this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the game was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a result that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach lasted 123 days in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the teams took the field. 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 redirected a set-piece at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire Roma in front. A Roma team minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously menacing in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, however, hard to gauge Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was given a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this game ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of just participating.