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There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma handled this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a Rangers side that has now lost a club record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the probable option. Yet, the match was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly spell as the head coach lasted just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was much more noticeable as the teams lined up. Rangers’ glaring lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a set-piece at the near post. At the back, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock Roma ahead. The visitors without the injured Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an effective striker but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half possession from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, had been quietened with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which greeted the interval were timid; Rangers were clearly in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, 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 had an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not turned on the owner so far but there is a rebellious feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s best period of the game, in which their replacement the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the bottom of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the point of making up the numbers.