🔗 Share this article

Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their European competition bid back on track. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games 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 game was settled as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, 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 the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the sides lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder easily flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma in front. A Roma team without the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable performances in the tournament, were pleased with their quick lead.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Rather, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma controlled first-half the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of Jack Butland’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, usually a raucous venue on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. Even the boos which greeted the interval were subdued; the home team were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus once again towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, showed the pair with targets on their images. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about all this. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; Rangers’ management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, the striker was sent through on goal on the hour mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge the visitors’ continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited Roma perfectly. There was cause to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this competition in 2022 and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.