The discontent at Ibrox Stadium grew louder on Thursday night as Rangers slumped to a fourth consecutive Europa League defeat, falling 2-0 to a clinical AS Roma side that heaped more pressure on manager Danny Röhl.
The loss leaves the Scottish Premiership side rooted to the bottom of the league phase table, still without a single point, having conceded eight goals and scored just one in their four matches.
Roma Capitalize on Defensive Frailties
From the outset, Rangers looked vulnerable, and their suspect defense was breached after just 13 minutes. Following sloppy play from Jayden Meghoma, Roma won a corner. Lorenzo Pellegrini’s delivery was flicked on by Bryan Cristante, and an unmarked Matias Soule stole in at the back post to tap in, highlighting a catastrophic defensive lapse.
The Italian side doubled their lead before halftime with a goal that further exposed Rangers’ disorganization. Lorenzo Pellegrini was given acres of space on the edge of the box, and after a simple lay-off from Artem Dovbyk, he side-footed a composed finish past Jack Butland.
The first-half performance prompted a chorus of boos from the home support, with banners unfurled in protest against the club’s board.
Ineffective Response Compounds Frustration
Rangers manager Danny Röhl made a tactical change at halftime, switching to a back four and introducing Thelo Aasgaard. While the home side enjoyed more of the ball in the second period, they struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-drilled Roma defense.
Mikey Moore drove a shot just wide, and Youssef Chermiti hit the side-netting, but Roma came closest to scoring again when Zeki Celik somehow hit the crossbar from two yards out. The game fizzled out to a conclusion, marking another sobering European night for the Glasgow club.
A Mountain to Climb
In his post-match comments, a disappointed Röhl acknowledged his team’s shortcomings. “It’s disappointing, the result. We did, in some key moments, not the right things that we should do,” he stated. “I’ve said this many times… at the moment there are a lot of things that we have to increase.”
The statistics tell a grim story. Rangers are one of only two teams yet to register a point in the competition, and their defensive record is a primary concern. With four games remaining, a monumental turnaround is now required for any hope of progressing to the knockout stages.
