Mols off as Rangers are held

Claudio Caniggia in a chase with Dogan Mustafa

Rangers 0-0 Fenerbahce

Michael Mols was sent off in a stormy goalless draw that leaves Rangers hoping for a miracle when they play in the hothouse atmosphere of Fenerbahce's home ground in a fortnight.

Turkish goalkeeper Recber Rustu was the key figure against an injury-hit Rangers side.

Rustu made several world-class saves then was lucky not to be sent off after appearing to punch Mols in the melee that ended with the Dutchman being shown the red card.

Injuries had ruined Rangers' promising Champions League campaign last season and the jinx returned for the visit of the Turkish champions in this qualifying tie.

Captain Barry Ferguson, Lorenzo Amoruso and midfielders Christian Nerlinger, Ronald de Boer and Claudio Reyna were all out injured.

Arthur Numan was fit enough to return, while Russell Latapy was back in the side after missing Saturday's draw with Livingston because of a traffic jam.

Mert Meric holds off Fernando Ricksen

Rangers adopted a 4-4-2 formation, with Bert Konterman in the midfield holding role, and it paid dividends early on as Tore Andre Flo fired a low shot at Rustu.

Neil McCann forced Rustu into a vital 12th-minute block at the expense of a corner.

Nikola Lazetic's lofted ball to Milan Rapajic put him in behind his marker, but Stefan Klos timed his dive perfectly to block the shot.

When the rebound fell to Lazetic for an instant shot, Stephen Hughes, the 18-year-old midfielder who was Rangers' star performer, threw himself in the way.

Lazetic and Rapajic combined cleverly again to open up the Rangers defence, but this time the latter poked harmlessly wide.

Konterman roused the crowd with a drive from 30 yards that forced Rustu into a palm over.

Hughes did well with a turn on the edge of the box and a lay-back to Tony Vidmar, whose scorching drive was parried by Rustu.

Rangers made a change at the break, replacing Caniggia with Mols, who fired a snapshot wide within a minute.

Michael Mols is left injured on the ground

Flo tried his luck on the turn after a Ricksen cross was deflected, but he too was off target.

Mols and Samuel Johnson clashed off the ball twice and, when the Fenerbahce man went down after what looked like a kick from the Dutchman, a melee ensued.

Rustu was quickly involved and his arrival saw Mols collapse to the turf in agony.

Mols hobbled off after being shown the red card and Rustu and Johnson escaped with mere yellows.

Ricksen sent in a free kick on to the head of Scott Wilson, but somehow Rustu palmed the effort away.

There was a nervous moment for the 10 men when Scott Wilson was adjudged to have fouled Revivo just outside the box and the Israeli curled the free kick just wide.

At the other end, Neil McCann went down in the box with two Turks in close proximity, but play continued.

Umit Ozat's free kick was deflected to Rapajic, but he blazed a good chance high and wide.

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Rangers: Klos, Vidmar, Moore, Wilson, Numan, Konterman, Hughes, Ricksen, McCann, Caniggia, Flo.

Subs: Christiansen, Mols, Dodds, Kanchelskis, Latapy, Ross, Miller.

Fenerbahce: Recber, Meric, Temizkanoglu, Dogan, Mirkovic, Ozat, Revivo, Rapajic, Lazetic, Ercan, Johnson.

Subs: Daglaroglu, Uche Okechukwu, Bayraktar, Akin, Andersson, Simsek, Gunes.

Referee: U Meier (Switzerland).