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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. However, the game was settled as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the manager continued for 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to fire his team ahead. A Roma team without the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Supporters turned their attentions once again towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; The team’s leadership is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and hit the side netting. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and on to the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of just participating.