Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini on target as Roma overpower Glasgow Rangers

There was admirable efficiency in the way the Italian side handled this trip to Glasgow. Minimum of fuss. Roma from Italy’s capital did, however, meet favourable opposition when putting their European competition 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.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when capitulation felt the more likely option. However, the game was decided as a competition 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 making proper impact. Their only regret here was in not delivering a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the co-efficient plunge to a point that will soon have huge consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are see it is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s ghastly spell as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The technical areas witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. Rangers’ obvious lack of height against the Italians looked worrying. This point was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. Following up, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to fire Roma ahead. The visitors minus the unavailable Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

Rangers could have equalised immediately. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physique to be an effective striker but appears reluctant or incapable to use them.

Roma dominated opening period the ball thereafter. Roma doubled their lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose curling shot into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will bemoan the fact Pellegrini stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous strike. The stadium, typically a raucous place on continental evenings, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. The discontent which greeted the interval were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in message, depicted the duo with targets on their faces. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an low-profile life as a successful businessman in the United States before leading a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not targeted the owner so far but there is a mutinous mood in the air. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the side netting. This actually triggered Rangers’ finest spell of the match, in which their substitute the young midfielder shot narrowly past the post. Yet, nonetheless, hard to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until the full-back was given a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the crossbar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of changes from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians perfectly. There was cause to ponder how on earth Rangers, runners-up in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.