Matías Soulé along with Pellegrini on target as AS Roma dominate Rangers

Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, however, face manageable rivals 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 lost a team record seven European games in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when surrender felt the probable outcome. Yet, the match was settled as a contest at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the tournament, which should constitute an disgrace to a club of this standing. Roma have eyes once more on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a result appropriately depicting men against boys.

Amazingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against the Terrors over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

Another element was far more striking as the sides took the field. Rangers’ obvious short stature against the visitors looked worrying. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante easily flicked on a corner at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire his team ahead. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness even with decent results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side should have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target 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 productive centre forward but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball thereafter. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; the home team were simply in the process of being outclassed.

The second period started against a curious backdrop. Supporters turned their attentions once again towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Fans have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is wholly unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the hour mark and hit the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably hit up and onto the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture closed more in the style of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. There was cause to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.