🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers side that has now suffered defeat in a team record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. Yet, the game was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an disgrace to a team of this standing. 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 marked only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will shortly have major consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s dismal spell as the head coach continued for just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was much more noticeable as the teams lined up. The home team’s glaring short stature against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a set-piece at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock his team ahead. A Roma team minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for bluntness despite reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an effective centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma dominated first-half possession thereafter. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, clearly menacing in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their images. One wonders what the club owner thinks about the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, difficult to gauge the visitors’ continued offensive intent until the full-back was given a opportunity from close range which he somehow hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.