He was fired by a sense of injustice after being fouled by Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Johnson and sought unfair retribution by kicking the Fener player and the game was over for him.
The madness happened 11 minutes into the second half and he made the task for Rangers too tough, which means that the return leg in two weeks’ time will be the most difficult match of Dick Advocaat’s reign.
Admittedly, Fener keeper Rustu Recber should also have been sent off for kicking Mols as a ruck of players became involved in the centre circle but it was the Rangers man who had caused all of the trouble.
The Ibrox men tried manfully to grab the vital goal they needed, but hindered by a lack of numbers they now enter the lion’s den that is the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on August 22 with a massive task on their hands.
Advocaat had called on the fans to raise the roof and he could not have asked for a better atmosphere as Rangers came out to a wall of noise at a packed Ibrox.
And what was even more encouraging for the Rangers manager was the manner in which they started the game. There was purpose and determination about the side and they tested Fener keeper Rustu Recber inside the first two minutes.
Fernando Ricksen, playing in a midfield role due to the injury problems, played the ball forward from the right side, Claudio Caniggia stabbed it on to Tore Andre Flo and his low, left foot drive was well held by the Turkish keeper.
It was just the kind of start Rangers wanted and they had the Turks in trouble again in 11 minutes. Neil McCann’s freekick was only half-cleared, Bert Konterman knocked it forward, Flo touched it on and McCann had a shot blocked for a corner.
Fenerbahce, however, pressed Rangers every time they had the ball and looked threatening when they had possession, especially with the speed of Milan Rapajic and Haim Revivo.
Nikola Lazetic pressed a bit too much in 14 minutes when he took out McCann and Swiss referee Urs Meier promptly cautioned him for his actions.
Fener, though, had Rangers in real trouble just a minute later when they burst forward on the break. Rapajic was almost clean through but Stefan Klos made a crucuial blocking save.
The ball broke to Lazetic, of all people, and he picked his spot but Scott Wilson managed to get in the way to make a second vital block.
Ranges probed and passed but they lacked the killer touch in the last third. Even when they won freekicks in dangerous positions, McCann’s delivery was lacking.
Caniggia found it tough to escape the close attentions of Mirkovic and Mustafa which meant Flo shouldered a lot of the responsibility but Rangers just could not find the openings they craved.
Fener seemed to cope with anything Rangers threw at them but they did test Recber with two excellent long range efforts before half-time.
Konterman, who had played really well in the first half, hammered a 40-yard shot in 39 minutes which nearly knocked Rustu into the back of his net as he pushed it past for a corner.
Then in 42 minutes Vidmar flashed a left foot shot from the edge of the box after great work from Stephen Hughes but again Rustu was equal to it, pushing it past for another corner.
Advocaat he had to shake things up and he brought on Mols for Caniggia to liven up the frontline. His involvement was only to last 11 minutes as a lack of discipline brought about a senseless red card.
The crazy thing was, Mols had looked sharp. He had a shot over the bar inside the first minute and his touch looked good as he linked the play but it all went horiibly wrong as the game exploded in the 56th minute.
Mols had been having a bit of an altercation with Samuel Johnson after the Ghanaian defender left his boot in during an earlier challenge and he would not let the matter rest.
There was some pushing and shoving and still Mols would not let it rest. Finally, he the red mist descended and he stupidly kicked Johnson to spark a mini brawl.
It was a red card offence and he had to go. However, Fener keeper Rustu should also have been sent off for racing from his area to kick Mols, who is now facing a lengthy UEFA suspension.
Incredibly referee Meier only booked the long-haired stopper and also only cautioned Johnson to send the Ibrox fans into utter rage.
The task now was a daunting one, but Rangers seem inspired by the explosive episode and threw everything they can into the match to try and win it.
Ricksen and Hughes ran until their lungs nearly burst trying to create the opening which would at least give Rangers some confidence for the second leg.
The performance of Hughes was outstanding. It was only his third start in the top team and yet he played like a veteran.
It was Ricksen’s freekick in 60 minutes which gave Scott Wilson a clear header but Rustu, infuriatingly, was equal to it with a tremendous blocking save.
Then in 73 minutes McCann and Hughes worked a freekick for Konterman who hit a terrific effort which flew just over the right hand upright.
There was also a chance for McCann seven minutes from when he dived to get on the end of Ricksen’s cross but his header was too high and the chance was gone.
And so it ended goal-less which means the return leg in Istanbul is going to be an almighty mountain for Rangers to climb. Fenerbahce won all 17 of their league matches in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium last season which says it all, really.
However, the Ibrox men will be fired with a sense of injustice after tonight’s events and that might just be enough to give them the result they need.
RANGERS: Klos; Vidmar, Moore, Wilson, Numan; Ricksen, Hughes, Konterman, McCann; Caniggia (Mols 45), Flo. Subs not used – Christiansen, Dodds, Kanchelskis, Latapy, Ross, Miller.
Sent off: Mols (58). Bookings: Ricksen (52).
FENERBAHCE: Recber;Meric, Mirkovic, Umit, Mustafa (Serhat 77); Lazetic, Ogun, Johnson, Rapajic, Adullah; Revivo (Andersson 86). Subs not used – Oguz, Deniz, Hakan, Yusuf, Gunes.
Bookings: Lazetic (14), Recber (58), Johnson (58), Mirkovic (73), Mustafa (74), Andersson (88)
Att: 49,472.
Ref: Urs Meier (Switzerland).
Man of the match: Stephen Hughes.
Moment of the match: Bert Konterman’s thunderous 40-yard shot which knocked the Fener keeper into his own net.