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There was admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Rome did, however, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. Observers noted a obvious difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now lost a team record seven European games in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the match was decided as a competition at that stage. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have ambitions again on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will shortly have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the head coach continued for just over four months in the initial phase of this season. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily redirected a corner at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team ahead. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball thereafter. They extended their advantage 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 bemoan the fact Pellegrini was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being outclassed.

The second period started against a unusual atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not targeted the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, difficult to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and onto the underside of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were involved. The raft of changes from both teams meant this game closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma perfectly. It prompted reflection to consider how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the last eight a season ago, reached the stage of just participating.