Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini find the net as Roma overpower Glasgow Rangers

There was impressive effectiveness in the way Roma dealt with this journey to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a club record seven continental matches consecutively.

To their credit, the home side at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the probable outcome. Yet, the game was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not delivering a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this represented only Roma’s second European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup business with Hibernian in 1961. The previous one, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a referee. In those days, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the co-efficient plunge to a level that will soon have major consequences.

Danny Röhl’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal spell as the manager lasted just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is thirty-six, his counterpart the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the sides took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the visitors looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the near post. Following up, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors minus the unavailable their young striker and their star attacker, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge even with decent results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

Rangers could have levelled matters immediately. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound purchase from Everton has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective striker but seems unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit dominated opening period possession from that point. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, usually a raucous place on continental evenings, had been quietened nine minutes until halftime. The discontent which met the interval were timid; the home team were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period started against a unusual backdrop. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in message, showed the pair with targets on their images. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an anonymous career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before leading a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is wholly unimpressive.

As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. This actually triggered Rangers’ best period of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder fired just wide. Yet, nonetheless, hard to determine Roma’s remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was given a opportunity from close range which he inexplicably lifted and onto the bottom of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The series of changes from both teams resulted in this fixture closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than competitive match. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly Rangers, finalists in this tournament in recently and worthy of the last eight a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.