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There was admirable efficiency about the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was settled as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent an disgrace to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire his team in front. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period possession thereafter. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. The stadium, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the United States before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a rebellious mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s leadership is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, difficult to determine the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and on to the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were involved. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.