Rangers v AS Roma
Rangers stay rock-bottom of Europa League table after Roma loss
Rangers' Europa League troubles continued with a 2-0 defeat by a superior Roma side at Ibrox.
Head coach Danny Röhl's tenure began with a 3-0 loss away to Brann last month and it was a similar story against the Italian heavyweights to make it four defeats out of four in the competition.
Following the 3-1 Premier Sports Cup semifinal defeat by Celtic at Hampden Park on Sunday, Rangers' limitations were again laid bare as Matìas Soulè and Lorenzo Pellegrini had the visitors two up after 36 minutes of Roma control.
The gap in quality could not be bridged as Rangers fans again turned their ire on sporting director Kevin Thelwell and chief executive Patrick Stewart in the second half which was shorn of real intensity.
Rangers remain bottom of the 36-team group with four fixtures remaining and, with hopes of qualification for the knockout stages looking over, they may need to turn their attention to domestic matters.
The Ibrox club are fourth in the Scottish Premiership, five points behind Celtic and 14 behind leaders Hearts ahead of a trip to second-bottom Dundee on Sunday.
Sunday's loss was a setback for Röhl and he freshened up his side, with Max Aarons, Mikey Moore, Djeidi Gassama and Connor Barron coming in as Derek Cornelius, Mohamed Diomande, Danilo and Thelo Aasgaard dropped out.
Roma, who had lost their last two Europa League fixtures, were without key players Evan Ferguson, Paulo Dybala, Angeliño and Leon Bailey, but it did not have a detrimental effect on Gian Piero Gasperini's side
Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk came in to lead the line and the Serie A outfit took the lead after 13 minutes following sloppy play from Gers defender Jayden Meghoma which led to a Roma corner.
Pellegrini delivered from the right, captain Bryan Cristante flicked on and Soule stole in at the back post to net.
It was too easy.
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Moments later Rangers' much-maligned striker Youssef Chermiti fired wide from an angle after a Roma mix-up before Soule tested goalkeeper Jack Butland with a powerful drive, Mario Hermoso heading over from the corner.
The Italian side added a second when Dovbyk collected a pass from Gianluca Mancini and, under little pressure from defender John Souttar, laid the ball off to Pellegrini, who assuredly side-footed it past Butland.
A quick-fire Rangers retort saw Mancini block a shot from Moore after Roma keeper Mile Svilar had spilled a Gassama cross.
When Aasgaard replaced Meghoma for the start of the second half and went to a back four, Rangers fans chanted against Thelwell and Stewart, both men getting more criticism as the game continued.
In the 58th minute Moore drove just wide of the far post from the edge of the box, while Chermiti hit the side-netting with another effort and Aasgaard fired a shot wide.
Roma launched a quick-fire attack in the 69th minute, but from two yards out Zeki Çelik somehow managed to hit the bar from a Kostas Tsimikas knockdown and Butland gathered.
There was no more drama as the game fizzled out on what was another sobering night for Röhl and his Rangers side.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Morten Krogh
UEFA Europa League Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Midtjylland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +8 | 12 |
| SC Freiburg | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 10 |
| Ferencvaros | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +4 | 10 |
| Celta Vigo | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +5 | 9 |
| Braga | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 9 |
| Aston Villa | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 9 |
| Lyon | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +3 | 9 |
| Viktoria Plzen | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +4 | 8 |
| Real Betis | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +4 | 8 |
| PAOK Salonika | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| SK Brann | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 |
| Racing Genk | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 |
| FC Porto | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Fenerbahce | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Panathinaikos | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| FC Basel | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| AS Roma | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| Lille | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Go Ahead Eagles | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 6 |
| Young Boys | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 6 |
| Nottingham Forest | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
| Bologna | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 |
| SK Sturm Graz | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 |
| Celtic | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 4 |
| RB Salzburg | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 3 |
| Feyenoord Rotterdam | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 3 |
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| FCSB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| FC Utrecht | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -4 | 1 |
| Malmö FF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 1 |
| Maccabi Tel-Aviv | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 1 |
| Nice | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 0 |
| Rangers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -7 | 0 |

