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Roma displayed admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side dealt with this trip to Scotland. Without much drama. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when placing their European competition bid on the right path. There was a glaring gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now suffered defeat in a club record seven European games in a row.

To their credit, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. Yet, the game was settled as a competition by then. Rangers remain anchored at the foot of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have ambitions once more on making proper impact. One slight disappointment in this match was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with a team from Scotland since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the corruption of a referee. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the top sides in Europe. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge consequences.

Danny Röhl’s key attribute so far as the fanbase are see it is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted 123 days in the initial phase of this season. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a clash of generations; Röhl is thirty-six, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is sixty-seven.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within the opening quarter-hour as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a set-piece at the near post. Following up, Matías Soulé burst forward to fire Roma in front. The visitors minus the injured Evan Ferguson and their star attacker, who have been criticised for bluntness despite decent performances in this campaign, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the visitors’ backline. Chermiti’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has increased scrutiny of the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma controlled first-half the ball from that point. They extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. Rangers will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. The stadium, typically a raucous venue 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 process of being overwhelmed.

After the break started against a curious backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus once again towards the top executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, showed the duo with targets on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh enjoyed an low-profile career as a wealthy entrepreneur in the US before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous feeling in the air. It is one which is unsurprising; The team’s leadership is completely unconvincing.

As if scripted, the striker was played in on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. It was, nonetheless, hard to determine the visitors’ remaining offensive intent until the full-back was given a opportunity from close range which he somehow hit up and on to the underside of the bar.

That was it as far as meaningful opportunity were involved. The raft of changes from both teams meant this game closed more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, runners-up in this tournament in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of just participating.