🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was decided as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an disgrace to a team of this standing. The Giallorossi have eyes again on making proper impact. Their only regret here 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 Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will shortly have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. A Roma team without the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with decent results in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised instantly. Rather, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half possession from that point. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in tone, showed the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, however, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were involved. The raft of substitutions from each side meant this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of just participating.