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There was admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. Observers noted a obvious difference in class between Roma and a Rangers side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the probable outcome. However, the match was settled as a contest by then. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in the early 60s. The previous one, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient drop to a level that will soon have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager 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 Italians looked worrying. That concern was proven within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock Roma in front. A Roma team minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period the ball thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, typically a raucous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. Two banners, clearly sinister in tone, showed the pair with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the club owner thinks about the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a acquisition of this club. Fans have not targeted Cavenagh so far but there is a rebellious mood around the club. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, difficult to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The series of substitutions from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a last year, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.