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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. However, the game was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian 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 referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s dismal spell as the manager continued for 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team in front. The visitors minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period possession thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief 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 the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh had an low-profile career as a successful businessman in the US before leading a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to determine the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and onto the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The series of changes from both teams resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.