Saracens big-name stars produced a powerful display to outmuscle and outthink a Glasgow side that fought hard but in the end were well beaten.
There was no lack of effort from the Glasgow players but despite lengthy periods of possession and pressure they never looked like having the power or guile to break open the Saracens defence.
The warning signs were there when Glasgow were pushed off their own scrummage ball when in good position in Saracens territory. From then on the Glasgow pack spent most of the match going backwards at a high rate of knots.
Thomas Castaignede opened the scoring for Saracens when he darted past Dan Parks to score under the posts. Dan Parks kicked a penalty for Glasgow but Castaignede added two more penalties to give Sarries a 13-3 lead.
The loss of Cammie Mather, sin-binned for a high challenge, was a big blow to Glasgow, but Saracens had already shown their superiority in set-piece and open play. Glasgow conceded 10 points in Cammie's absence including a Kyran Bracken try from a seven-man Glasgow scrum on their own line.
Things got even worse for Glasgow when Castaignede hacked ahead before getting the vital touch for a great individual score. Dan Parks made the score 25-6 with the last kick of the opening forty minutes.
Any lingering hopes Glasgow had of getting back in the game were dashed when Robbie Russell ran in from the 10-metre line after Glasgow were dispossessed in the tackle.
Glasgow then enjoyed their best period of the match as Jon Petrie, Nathan Ross and Cammie Mather took the game to Saracens with some powerful drives. Saracens lost Simon Raiwalui, sin-binned for persistent foul play, but despite a succession of penalties on the Sarries' line, Glasgow couldn't cross for the try that their second-half efforts, and their group of noisy travelling supporters deserved.
Glasgow should also regret running easy penalties in pursuit of tries. In a two leg tie the extra six or nine points may have been vital. Despite the Glasgow pressure, Saracens had the final word when Ben Russell went over in the corner after a break upfield.
It was good to see so many Glasgow supporters make the trip to support their team, and the Saracens supporters were very welcoming hosts. It's easy to support a team when things are going well, but it's a lot harder when your team is struggling. It seems very unlikely that Glasgow will turn around a thirty-one point deficit next week, but they will hopefully repay their supporters with a win at Hughenden.