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Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between Roma and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven European games in a row.

Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a second half when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was settled as a competition at that stage. The Scottish club remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes again on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not delivering a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it politely) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, Scottish clubs could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient plunge to a point that will shortly have huge consequences.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. Martin’s dismal spell as the manager continued for just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has displayed potential though within a tiny sample size. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is 36, his counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. That concern was proven within 13 minutes as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. Following up, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to fire his team ahead. A Roma team minus the unavailable their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for lack of cutting edge despite reasonable results in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. Chermiti’s £8m signing from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. Chermiti possesses at least the physique to be an productive centre forward but seems unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma dominated opening period possession from that point. They extended their advantage through their captain, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net came after a lay off from Artem Dovbyk. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. The discontent which met the interval were subdued; the home team were simply in the midst of being outclassed.

The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. A pair of displays, clearly sinister in tone, depicted the pair with targets on their images. It raises questions what the club owner thinks about all this. Ultimately, the chairman had an low-profile life as a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States before fronting a takeover of Rangers. Fans have not targeted Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling in the air. This is easy to understand; Rangers’ management is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, Chermiti was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the match, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. Yet, however, difficult to determine Roma’s remaining offensive intent until the full-back was given a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than serious contest. That scenario benefited the Italians fine. There was cause to ponder how exactly Rangers, finalists in this competition in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.