Draw Sends Blues Into Last Eight (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 0 VfB Stuttgart 0

Richard Jolly reports

After the most nervous stalemate of the Abramovich era, Chelsea secured their place in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League at the expense of Stuttgart.

Tension compensated for the absence of goals as the final whistle was as much of a relief to the under-pressure manager as his generous benefactor, still looking for some silverware to show for his considerable investment.

And this 1-0 aggregate win means Claudio Ranieri's side have now equalled Chelsea's best run in Europe's premier competition; club history beckons after a tie which, in keeping with both the stalwart defending, was settled by a centre back.

After Fernando Meira's 12th-minute own goal in the first leg, 170 minutes of an increasingly edgy impasse followed, though but for two superlative save in a minute from Timo Hildebrand, substitute Adrian Mutu would have scored a Stamford Bridge winner which would have been a harsh reflection on the determined Bundesliga side.

But Germany's most obdurate defence were matched by a Chelsea side recording a shut-out for the fifth successive game, Champions League winner and novice Marcel Desailly and John Terry the two pillars Stuttgart attacks foundered upon.

Terry's pre-match comments that this could be the prelude to conquering Europe had rather less merit than his wholeheared defending. A perfectly-timed tackle on Imre Szabics epitomised both his commitment and judgement.

Indeed, Szabics and fellow replacement Christian Tiffert came as close as Stuttgart got to breaking the deadlock; the latter's fierce 25-yard drive resulted in the ball nestling against the netting of Carlo Cudicini's net. But it went past the post and via the adverising hoardings as Chelsea breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet, when the match started, Chelsea almost eased their task with a goal within 10 minutes. Ranieri heeded his mother's advice and picked Damien Duff. Signora Ranieri was vindicated as the recalled Irishman jinked past Andreas Hinkel at will on an awkward evening for the Germany international.

Duff warmed Hildebrand's palms on five minutes and supplied the cross, with an accuracy Jesper Gronkjaer could only envy, for Hernan Crespo to head wide.

But Stuttgart's ambitions were in evidence from the first minute, though Bordon blasted his effort high and wide. Thereafter, Cudicini, exerting a magnetic impact on Stuttgart's shots, was called into action often but tested rarely. Hinkel, Kevin Kuranyi, Zvonimir Soldo and the persistent Silvio Meissner picked out the Chelsea keeper but only Szabics, with a bobbling 25-yard shot, forced a diving stop.

Stuttgart stepped up a gear after the interval, the two-footed Phillip Lahm waltzing his way through them but placing his shot wide. And though Chelsea flooded the centre of midfield, the inventive Alexander Hleb glided into space at ease but the Belorussian provided a tame finish to Stuttgart's most fluent move.

Chelsea, meanwhille, were forced onto the back foot as Ranieri's team selection may provide further ammunition for his critics. Opting for a lone striker - Crespo -  was presumably intended as a counter-attacking ploy; it merely served as an invitation to Stuttgart to cast off their defensive shackles.

His early chance apart, the opportunistic Crespo was feeding on scraps. He did, however, supply an inviting through ball for Frank Lampard to dink a shot wide. The offside flag spared his blushes but the otherwise impressive Lampard was awry in his finishing a minute previously with a tame shot.

When Boris Zivkovic was left unmarked to head a corner straight at Cudicini, Ranieri's response was to introduce Mutu. 

As with Tiffert, fresh legs almost brought a fresh scoreline. But Mutu's misses did not matter. He, and Chelsea, still succeeded where Manchester United and Juventus failed. They are in the quarter-finals.

Teams

Chelsea Cudicini, Johnson (Desailly 29), Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Gronkjaer, Makelele, Lampard, Parker (Geremi 61), Duff (Mutu 82), Crespo.

Subs Not Used: Ambrosio, Cole, Gudjohnsen, Huth.

VfB Stuttgart Hildebrand, Hinkel (Gomez 81), Zivkovic, Bordon, Meira, Meissner (Tiffert 62), Hleb, Cacau (Szabics 39), Soldo, Lahm, Kuranyi.

Subs Not Used: Heinen, Vranjes, Gerber, Heldt.

Booked: Hinkel.

Aggregate: 1-0

Attendance: 36,657

Referee: Kim Nielsen (Denmark).