Soulé along with Pellegrini on target as AS Roma outclass Glasgow Rangers

There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. Roma from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when placing their Europa League bid back on track. There was a obvious gulf in quality between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team squad 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 surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the game was settled as a contest by then. Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an disgrace to a club of such stature. The Giallorossi have ambitions once more on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a result appropriately depicting the mismatch in quality.

Amazingly, this represented only Roma’s second continental encounter with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in the early 60s. Their last such match, against Dundee United over two decades later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a referee. Back then, Scottish clubs could vie with the best in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a point that will soon have huge ramifications.

The new manager’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not Russell Martin. Martin’s ghastly tenure as the manager continued for 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has displayed potential though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts witnessed a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini is 67.

A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. The home team’s obvious lack of height against the visitors looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder comfortably redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to knock Roma in front. The visitors without the injured their young striker and Paulo Dybala, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge despite decent results in the tournament, were delighted with their quick lead.

Rangers should have equalised instantly. Instead, the forward sent his effort off target after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s £8m signing from the Toffees has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an effective striker but appears unwilling or unable to use them.

Roma dominated first-half the ball from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the far post of the goalkeeper’s net came after a pass from Artem Dovbyk. Rangers will lament the fact the midfielder stood in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. The stadium, typically a boisterous place on continental evenings, 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 midst of being outclassed.

After the break started against a unusual atmosphere. Those Rangers fans turned their attentions for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, the CEO, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in message, showed the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the club owner makes of all this. Ultimately, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous career as a successful businessman in the United States before fronting a acquisition of Rangers. Paying punters have not turned on Cavenagh yet but there is a rebellious feeling in the air. This is unsurprising; The team’s leadership is completely unconvincing.

Right on cue, the striker was sent through on goal on the hour mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked the home side’s finest spell of the game, in which their replacement Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, hard to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until the full-back was given a chance from close range which he somehow lifted and onto the bottom of the bar.

That opportunity as far as meaningful opportunity were concerned. The raft of substitutions from each side resulted in this fixture ended more in the fashion of a summer exhibition than competitive match. This of course suited Roma perfectly. There was cause to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this competition in 2022 and strong enough of the last eight a last year, arrived at the stage of making up the numbers.