Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini on target as Roma dominate Glasgow Rangers

There was admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side handled this journey to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a Rangers 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. However, the match was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have eyes 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 fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in Europe. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal spell as the head coach lasted 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the Italians looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a corner at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire his team in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite decent performances in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have equalised immediately. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma dominated first-half possession from that point. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were timid; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Supporters turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously sinister in message, depicted the duo with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner yet but there is a rebellious mood in the air. It is one which is easy to understand; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued 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 bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The series of substitutions from each side meant this game ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to consider how on earth Rangers, finalists in this competition in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.