🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when surrender felt the more likely option. However, the game was settled as a contest at that stage. 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 eyes once more on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient drop to a point that will soon have major consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are see it is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal spell as the head coach lasted 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides took the field. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma ahead. A Roma team minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for bluntness despite decent performances in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

The Ibrox side could have equalised immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but appears reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled opening period the ball thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a superb finish. The stadium, usually a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. Even the boos which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the club owner thinks about all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. This is easy to understand; The team’s leadership is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, difficult to determine the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was given a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and on to the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams meant this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians perfectly. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.