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There was impressive effectiveness in the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will soon have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal spell as the manager continued for 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. This point was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock Roma in front. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters instantly. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled first-half the ball thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived 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 strike. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of just participating.