With the Premiership title out of sight Ranieri, who has spent 120 million pounds on new players this season, is fully aware the Champions League represents the club's only chance of silverware.

"After losing against Arsenal we were very nervous," admitted Ranieri. "Stuttgart had won all their games here and we did well to collect a win."

"There is still a lot left in this season for us."

The narrow 1-0 triumph at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium courtesy of an early own goal from Fernando Meira, will placate demanding owner Roman Abramovich with Chelsea now in the box seat for the return leg at Stamford Bridge on March 9.

Stuttgart had a 100 percent record at home in this competition and had already taken the British scalps of Manchester United and Rangers, but found Chelsea a bridge too far, and now face an uphill task to reach the last eight.

With seven minutes on the clock Silvio Meissner had the first opening of the match for the hosts as his right-footed shot forced Carlo Cudicini to pull off a smart low save at his left hand post.

It was an early test for the Italian goalkeeper who had shrugged off an injury to start.

With Ranieri out of the dugout barking instructions Chelsea moved up a gear and on 12 minutes took the lead with a helping hand from the Stuttgart defence.

Glen Johnson surged down the right flank and curled a brilliant ball into the box that forced Fernando Meira to lunge at full stretch with Eidur Gudjohnsen hovering behind him.

The Portuguese international got there first but could only slide the ball into his own net to hand Chelsea the lead.

German runners-up Stuttgart almost restored parity in the 20th minute but Zvonomir Soldo, the sole survivor from his team's 1998 Cup winners Cup final defeat by Chelsea, saw his header scrambled off the line by Cudicini.

England international Frank Lampard had claimed before the match he did not know any of the Stuttgart players, but on 25 minutes he was introduced to Belarus winger Alexander Hlleb who twisted him inside out and forced a foul.

The protesting Lampard received a yellow card.

Chelsea should have gone further in front on 34 minutes but Icelandic star Eidur Gudjohnsen somehow shot over with the goal at his mercy.

A great cut-back from Argentine Hernan Crespo left Gudjohnsen free near the penalty spot but the striker inexplicably fired over.

With Frenchman Claude Makelele, a winner of this tournament with Real Madrid, pulling the strings in midfield Chelsea took the sting out of Stuttgart in the early stages of the second half.

Crespo then had the ball in the net for the visitors once again on 55 minutes but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Hlleb was the primary menace for Stuttgart with his pacy dribbling, but found few options when he pierced the Chelsea rearguard.

It underlined why shot-shy Stuttgart had scored a meagre 27 goals in 21 Bundesliga outings this term.

In a last throw of the dice striker Cacau was thrown on for the final 20 minutes and the Brazilian almost equalised five minutes after coming on.

Wayne Bridge produced a heroic block to deny Cacau's goal-bound header and Chelsea held on for an important away win.