Soulé along with Lorenzo Pellegrini on target as AS Roma dominate Glasgow Rangers

Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing 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.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. However, the match was decided as a contest by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a team of such stature. The Giallorossi have eyes once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not delivering a result that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. The previous one, against the Terrors 23 years later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could vie with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will shortly have major ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly tenure as the manager lasted 123 days in the early part of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a tiny sample size. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.

A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. 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 corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to knock Roma in front. A Roma team minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness despite reasonable performances in the tournament, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers should have levelled matters immediately. Instead, Youssef Chermiti sent his effort off target after a defensive error in the visitors’ backline. The player’s £8m purchase from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an productive striker but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated first-half possession thereafter. They doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. The discontent which met the half-time whistle were subdued; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

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, the director. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, showed the duo with bullseyes on their faces. It raises questions what the club owner makes of the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before leading a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and on to the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. This of course suited the Italians fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly Rangers, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, reached the stage of making up the numbers.