Matías Soulé and Pellegrini on target as Roma overpower Rangers

Roma displayed impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven European games in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least fought hard during a second half when surrender felt the probable option. However, the match was decided as a competition at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an disgrace to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a result that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever European joust with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best 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 up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The technical areas saw a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the teams took the field. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable performances in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

Roma controlled opening period the ball from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact Pellegrini stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; Rangers were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

After the break began against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, obviously menacing in tone, depicted the duo with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of all this. Ultimately, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a takeover of this club. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a rebellious feeling around the club. It is one which is unsurprising; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from both teams meant this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, reached the stage of just participating.