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Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a team record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the match was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could compete with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is 36, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a set-piece at the near post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to knock his team in front. The visitors without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have equalised immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’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 effective striker but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit controlled opening period possession from that point. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which met the half-time whistle were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in tone, showed the duo with targets on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is completely unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the side netting. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, difficult to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of changes from both teams resulted in this game ended more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of just participating.