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There was impressive effectiveness about the way the Italian side handled this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a glaring difference in class between Roma and a Rangers squad that has now lost a club record seven European games consecutively.

Positively, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable option. Yet, the match was settled as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of this standing. Roma have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will shortly have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

Another element was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a corner at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire his team in front. The visitors without the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness despite reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma controlled opening period possession from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, usually a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

After the break started against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the club owner thinks about all this. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a acquisition of this club. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling around the club. It is one which is unsurprising; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, however, hard to gauge the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The series of changes from both teams resulted in this game ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the point of just participating.