Soulé and Pellegrini find the net as AS Roma dominate Glasgow Rangers

Roma displayed admirable efficiency about the way Roma handled this journey to Scotland. Minimum of fuss. The team from Italy’s capital did, nonetheless, meet favourable opposition when putting their Europa League bid on the right path. There was a obvious difference in class between Roma and a the Scottish team squad that has now lost a team record seven continental matches in a row.

Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a second half when surrender felt the more likely option. However, the game was decided as a contest by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the Europa League, which should constitute an embarrassment to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes once more on achieving significant success. Their only regret here was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected men against boys.

Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second continental encounter with a team from Scotland since Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against the Terrors over two decades later, became overshadowed (to put it politely) by the bribing of a match official. In those days, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. The current campaign has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality up to now as the Rangers support are see it is that he isn’t his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the head coach continued for 123 days in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts witnessed a clash of generations; the Rangers boss is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams took the field. The home team’s obvious short stature against the visitors looked worrying. This point was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, Matías Soulé sprinted into space to knock his team ahead. The visitors without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for bluntness even with reasonable results in this campaign, were pleased with their early advantage.

The Ibrox side could have equalised instantly. Rather, Youssef Chermiti screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m purchase from the Toffees has increased scrutiny of the Rangers transfer hierarchy. Chermiti possesses at least the physical attributes to be an effective striker but appears unwilling or unable to utilize them fully.

The Italian outfit controlled first-half possession thereafter. Roma extended their advantage through Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose bent effort into the bottom corner of the goalkeeper’s net arrived after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder was left in blissful isolation but it was a gorgeous strike. Ibrox, typically a boisterous venue on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining before the break. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; the home team were clearly in the process of being overwhelmed.

The second period began against a curious atmosphere. Supporters directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and sporting director, the director. Two banners, obviously sinister in tone, depicted the pair with bullseyes on their faces. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman thinks about the situation. After all, Andrew Cavenagh had an low-profile career as a successful businessman in the US before leading a acquisition of this club. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh so far but there is a rebellious mood around the club. It is one which is easy to understand; Rangers’ leadership is wholly unimpressive.

Right on cue, the striker was played in on goal on the hour mark and found only the outside of the goal. This actually triggered the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide. It was, however, difficult to gauge the visitors’ continued offensive intent until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the underside of the crossbar.

That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were concerned. The raft of changes from both teams resulted in this game ended more in the style of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited the Italians fine. There was cause to ponder how on earth the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in recently and worthy of the quarter-finals a season ago, arrived at the stage of just participating.