Own Goal Gives Blues Advantage  (Sky Sports)

VfB Stuttgart 0 Chelsea 1

Chelsea have one foot in the Champions League quarter finals after securing a one-nil win in Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium thanks to an own goal from Fernando Meira.

Claudio Ranieri's men were on defensive duty for much of the match against a team previously unbeaten at home in five years of European competition, but rarely looked like conceding their early lead.

Stuttgart rarely threatened Chelsea's goal with Glen Johnson the star in an impressive defensive display away from home.

The unfortunate Meira put the only goal of the game past Timo Hildebrand in one of a very few raids on the Stuttgart goal.

But Chelsea won't mind that it was the only shot on target on the Stuttgart goal at they take the crucial  advantage back to Stamford Bridge.

Stuttgart dominated much of the first half but a shoot-on-sight policy meant Carlo Cudicini, playing despite carrying a groin injury, was rarely troubled.

After weathering the early storm, including a sharp save by Cudicini from Meissner, Chelsea opened the scoring with their first foray into the Stuggart penalty box after only 11 minutes.

Johnson found some space on the right and crossed for Hernan Crespo, but Fernando Meissner guided the ball into the near corner of the goal trying to clear.

The home side's best effort came early on when Wayne Bridge and Cudicini combined on line to keep out a Meissner header from a Stuttgart corner.

Chelsea should have doubled their lead by half-time but Eidur Gudjohnsen fired high over the bar when given a one-on-one by Crespo.

In the second half Stuttgart again enjoyed plenty of possession but their inability to carve out clear-cut chances drew vocal frustration from the home crowd.

Ten minutes into the second half Crespo found the net again for Chelsea but the goal was ruled out as the Argentine took Gudjohnsen's pass a yard offside.

Aleksandr Hleb and Philipp Lahm down the Stuttgart left looked the most likely route back into the game, but Glen Johnsen and Geremi marshalled them well.

On the few ocassions the pair slipped Johnson and Geremi's grasps they found a penalty area full of blue shirts ready to protect Cudicini's goal.

Kevin Kuranyi finally pulled a save out of Cudicini on 81 minutes, but again from distance, and the Italian comfortably turned the ball over the bar.

Teams:

VfB Stuttgart Hildebrand, Hinkel, Meira, Bordon, Lahm, Meissner (Tiffert 46), Soldo, Hleb, Heldt (Cacau 66), Kuranyi, Szabics.

Subs Not Used: Heinen, Zivkovic, Vranjes, Gerber, Centurion.

Booked: Bordon.

Chelsea Cudicini, Johnson, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Geremi, Makelele, Lampard, Gronkjaer (Duff 66), Gudjohnsen (Hasselbaink 73), Crespo (Cole 89).

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Desailly, Melchiot, Parker.

Booked: Lampard, Makelele, Cudicini, Johnson.

Goals: Meira 12 og.

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).