🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side handled this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was 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 in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when surrender felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the match was decided as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a result that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will shortly have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the Italians looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock his team in front. A Roma team without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable performances in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Rather, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled first-half the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the club owner makes of all this. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a takeover of this club. Fans have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ leadership is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, difficult to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The raft of changes from each side meant this game ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of making up the numbers.