🔗 Share this article

There was impressive effectiveness in the way Roma handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games consecutively.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. Yet, the game was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will soon have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock his team ahead. The visitors minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable performances in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the process of being outclassed.

After the break started against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, obviously menacing in tone, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the club owner thinks about the situation. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unconvincing.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The series of changes from each side resulted in this fixture closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.