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Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way Roma dealt with this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a club record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the more likely option. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions again on achieving significant success. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have huge consequences.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s dismal spell as the manager lasted just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the sides took the field. Rangers’ glaring short stature against the Italians looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma ahead. The visitors minus the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness despite decent performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an productive centre forward but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma controlled first-half the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been silenced nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions once again towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously menacing in message, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner makes of the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before leading a takeover of this club. Fans have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ leadership is completely unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, however, hard to gauge the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was given a chance all of a yard out which he somehow hit up and onto the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. There was cause to consider how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of making up the numbers.