Soulé along with Lorenzo Pellegrini on target as AS Roma outclass Rangers
There was impressive effectiveness about the way Roma dealt with this trip to Glasgow. Without much drama. The team from Rome did, nonetheless, face manageable rivals when putting their European competition bid on the right path. Observers noted a glaring difference in class between the Serie A outfit and a the Scottish team side that has now lost a team record seven continental matches consecutively.
Positively, the home side at least fought hard during a later period when surrender felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was decided as a competition by then. Rangers remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League, which should represent an disgrace to a team of such stature. Roma have eyes again on making proper impact. Their only regret in this match was in not producing a scoreline appropriately depicting men against boys.
Surprisingly, this marked only Roma’s second-ever continental encounter with Scottish opposition since the historic Fairs Cup fixtures with Hibernian in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became marred (to put it mildly) by the bribing of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the best in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will shortly have huge consequences.
The new manager’s key attribute up to now as the Rangers support are concerned is that he isn’t Russell Martin. The latter’s ghastly spell as the manager lasted 123 days in the initial phase of the campaign. Röhl, the new man at the helm, has shown promise though within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his counterpart the Roma manager is sixty-seven.
A further factor was far more striking as the teams lined up. The home team’s glaring lack of height against the Italians looked ominous. This point was proven within the opening quarter-hour as Bryan Cristante comfortably flicked on a set-piece at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger burst forward to fire his team ahead. A Roma team without the injured their young striker and their star attacker, who have been questioned for lack of cutting edge even with reasonable results in the tournament, were delighted with their early advantage.
Rangers should have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a defensive error in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound purchase from the Toffees has piled pressure on the Rangers transfer hierarchy. He has at least the physical attributes to be an productive striker but seems reluctant or incapable to utilize them fully.
Roma controlled first-half the ball from that point. Roma doubled their lead through their captain, whose bent effort into the far post of Jack Butland’s net arrived after a lay off from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will lament the fact the midfielder stood in blissful isolation but it was a superb strike. Ibrox, typically a raucous venue on European nights, had been silenced nine minutes before the break. Even the boos which greeted the half-time whistle were subdued; Rangers were simply in the process of being overwhelmed.
After the break began against a curious atmosphere. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the club’s chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Two banners, clearly menacing in tone, showed the pair with targets on their faces. One wonders what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the United States before leading a takeover of Rangers. Paying punters have not targeted Cavenagh so far but there is a mutinous mood around the club. This is easy to understand; The team’s management is completely unconvincing.
Right on cue, the striker was played in on goal on the 60-minute mark and hit the outside of the goal. That moment sparked Rangers’ best period of the game, in which their replacement the young midfielder fired just wide. It was, nonetheless, difficult to gauge the visitors’ remaining attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a chance all of a yard out which he inexplicably lifted and on to the bottom of the crossbar.
That was it as far as clear-cut opportunity were involved. The raft of changes from each side meant this game ended more in the style of a summer exhibition than competitive match. That scenario benefited the Italians perfectly. It prompted reflection to ponder how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this tournament in recently and strong enough of the quarter-finals a last year, arrived at the point of making up the numbers.