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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable outcome. However, the game was settled as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes again on making proper impact. 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 European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the early part of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. The visitors without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite decent performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton 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 utilize them fully.

Roma controlled first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur 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 in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, difficult to gauge the visitors’ continued offensive intent until the full-back was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. This of course suited Roma perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the stage of just participating.