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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot 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 delivering a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s dismal tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the visitors looked worrying. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a set-piece at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire his team ahead. The visitors without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness despite decent performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the US before leading a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably hit up and on to the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of changes from each side resulted in this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.