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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition 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 team record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. Yet, the game 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. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal 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 shown promise though within a tiny sample size. The technical areas saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to fire his team ahead. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers should have equalised instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period possession thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, 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 Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being outclassed.

The second period began against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on the owner so far but there is a rebellious mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is completely unimpressive.

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 game, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were involved. The series of changes from each side meant this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.