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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will shortly have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise though within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed 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 teams lined up. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably 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 even with decent results in this campaign, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period possession from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb finish. Ibrox, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being outclassed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly sinister in message, showed the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, however, hard to determine the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance from close range which he somehow hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of changes from each side meant this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.