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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when capitulation felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will shortly have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a set-piece at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock his team ahead. A Roma team minus the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable performances in this campaign, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers could have levelled matters instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but seems unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma dominated first-half possession from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were subdued; the home team were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in message, showed the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a acquisition of this club. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, hard to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and on to the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.