Soulé along with Pellegrini on target as AS Roma dominate Rangers
There was admirable efficiency about the way Roma dealt with 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 squad that has now lost a club record seven continental matches consecutively.
Positively, Rangers at least huffed and puffed during a later period when capitulation felt the more likely outcome. However, the match was decided as a competition by then. The Scottish club remain rooted to the bottom of the tournament, which should represent an embarrassment to a club of such stature. Roma have eyes again on achieving significant success. One slight disappointment here was in not producing a scoreline that truly reflected the mismatch in quality.
Surprisingly, this represented only the Roman club’s second-ever European joust with Scottish opposition since Fairs Cup business with Hibs in 1961. Their last such match, against Dundee United 23 years later, became overshadowed (to put it mildly) by the corruption of a match official. Back then, teams from Scotland could compete with the top sides in the continent. This season has seen the UEFA coefficient drop to a level that will soon have major consequences.
Danny Röhl’s main quality so far as the fanbase are concerned is that he is not his predecessor. The latter’s dismal tenure as the head coach lasted just over four months in the early part of the campaign. The German coach, the recent appointment at the helm, has shown promise albeit within a limited timeframe. The dugouts saw a generation game; Röhl is 36, his opposite number the Roma manager is 67.
A further factor was much more noticeable as the teams took the field. Rangers’ obvious short stature against the visitors looked ominous. That concern was confirmed within 13 minutes as the Roma midfielder easily redirected a corner at the front post. At the back, the Argentine winger sprinted into space to fire his team ahead. The visitors without the unavailable Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, who have been criticised for bluntness even with reasonable performances in this campaign, were delighted with their early advantage.
Rangers could have levelled matters instantly. Instead, the forward screwed his shot wide after a mix-up in the Roma defence. The player’s eight-million-pound signing from Everton has piled pressure on the club’s recruitment team. He has at least the physique to be an productive striker but seems reluctant or incapable to use them.
The Italian outfit dominated opening period the ball from that point. They doubled their lead through their captain, whose curling shot into the bottom corner of Jack Butland’s net came after a pass from the Ukrainian forward. The hosts will bemoan the fact the midfielder was left in complete freedom but it was a gorgeous finish. Ibrox, typically a raucous place on European nights, had been silenced with time still remaining until halftime. Even the boos which met the interval were timid; Rangers were simply in the midst of being overwhelmed.
The second period began against a unusual backdrop. Those Rangers fans directed their focus for the latest time towards the top executive, Patrick Stewart, and transfer chief, Kevin Thelwell. A pair of displays, clearly menacing in tone, showed the pair with targets on their images. It raises questions what the Rangers chairman makes of the situation. After all, the chairman enjoyed an anonymous life as a successful businessman in the US before fronting a takeover of this club. Fans have not turned on the owner yet but there is a mutinous feeling around the club. This is unsurprising; The team’s management is completely unimpressive.
As if scripted, Chermiti was sent through on the keeper on the 60-minute mark and found only the side netting. That moment sparked the home side’s best period of the game, in which their substitute Thelo Aasgaard shot narrowly past the post. It was, however, difficult to gauge Roma’s continued attacking motivation until Zeki Celik was presented with a opportunity all of a yard out which he somehow lifted and on to the bottom of the crossbar.
That opportunity as far as meaningful chances were involved. The series of substitutions from both teams meant this fixture closed more in the fashion of a pre-season friendly than serious contest. This of course suited Roma fine. It prompted reflection to consider how exactly the Glasgow club, finalists in this tournament in 2022 and worthy of the last eight a last year, reached the stage of making up the numbers.