STUTTGART is the home of Mercedes' formula one operation and, last night, Middlesbrough's 'Team McClaren' left the city having motored towards the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Five days after humbling champions elect Chelsea, the Teessiders hit top gear again as goals from Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Stuart Parnaby secured a one-goal advantage ahead of next week's return leg at the Riverside.

Danijel Ljuboja's 85th-minute free-kick gave his side a glimmer of hope but, after a month of languishing in the pits, Boro are back to full working order.

Predictably, the return of midfield enforcer George Boateng was a crucial part of their rehabilitation.

While much of this campaign has been eminently forgettable, a continued interest in both the UEFA and FA Cups means the last lap could yet provide a memorable finish. On last night's evidence, Boro have the makings of a successful team once again.

Hasselbaink's first-half opener justified Steve McClaren's decision to leave leading scorer Aiyegbeni Yakubu on the bench and, for the second match in a row, the Boro boss got his tactical decisions just right.

Boateng's presence beefed up the midfield and, despite enjoying plenty of first-half possession, Stuttgart looked a beaten team well before Parnaby maintained his sudden goal glut within a minute of the re-start.

The night had not started well for the hosts when a leaking boiler in the hospitality section of the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion forced an evacuation an hour before kick-off. By the time the final whistle blew, Stuttgart's players were still in plenty of hot water.

European nights have tended to bring the best out of Boro this season and, while their defensive record in the Premiership has been far from impressive, the Teessiders started last night's game as the only team in Europe yet to concede a goal in continental competition.

That their resolve was only broken after ten hours and 25 minutes of football was testament to the increased reliability of both Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott.

The resilience shown against the likes of Grasshoppers and AZ Alkmaar was also in evidence in last weekend's crushing of Chelsea but, with his midfield problems mounting, McClaren was unable to field the same defensive unit that contained the champions.

Parnaby's switch into midfield enabled Andrew Davies to make his first Boro start since April and, after coming on as a substitute last weekend, Boateng returned to the starting line-up in place of the injured Gaizka Mendieta.

The Dutchman has been sidelined since December with an ankle injury and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it took ten minutes or so for his initial rustiness to subside. When it did, though, he was back to his battling best at the heart of the Boro midfield.

Barely two minutes had elapsed when Boateng was robbed by Ljuboja but Mark Schwarzer, returning to the city where his parents still live, was alert enough to parry the Stuttgart striker's low shot.

Schwarzer was called upon again seven minutes later, smothering Jon Dahl Tomasson's daisy-cutter as the home side started with a liveliness that betrayed their own recent problems.

Tomasson, in particular, caused problems with his movement but, despite starring for Feyeenord and AC Milan since an unsuccessful spell at Newcastle, the Denmark international does not appear to have improved on the dreadful finishing that characterised his time on Tyneside.

Ljuboja's 16th-minute cross was an open invitation to score but, after timing his front-post run to perfection, Tomasson failed to find the target from no more than six yards.

It was a crucial miss as, less than four minutes later, Hasselbaink delivered a striking masterclass at the opposite end of the field.

There was an element of fortune to the Dutchman's fifth goal in his last seven games - Fernando Meira's clearance rebounded into his path off an unaware Boateng - but there was plenty to admire in the driven 20-yard finish that whistled through the legs of goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand.

Hasselbaink came close to leaving the Riverside last month but, with Mark Viduka's Boro future far from certain given his recent altercation with a group of fans, the former Chelsea striker is likely to be called upon with ever increasing frequency as the fixtures continue to mount.

The same is true of Schwarzer, another player who had been exiled to the bench as he edged towards the exit door during January. The Australian exudes an air of authority lacking in his compatriot Brad Jones and the visitors were grateful for his razor-sharp reflexes again eight minutes before half-time.

Zvonimir Soldo's stinging half-volley was creeping inside the left-hand post before a full-stretch save from Schwarzer tipped it around the upright.

A one-goal lead was probably beyond Boro's expectations given their dreadful away record on domestic soil but, within 52 seconds of the re-start, even that had been surpassed.

Davies began the move with a raking downfield ball and, after skipping past midfielder Silvio Meissner, Boateng had the presence of mind to pick out the onrushing Parnaby.

The erstwhile defender had gone 68 games without scoring before breaking his duck against Nuneaton last month - by driving into the roof of the net last night, he made it three goals in his last five games.

Stuttgart finally rallied in the final 20 minutes but, with Riggott and Southgate outstanding at the back, Boro looked like holding firm.

Their resolve was finally broken five minutes from the end, though, as Emanuel Pogatetz was punished for a clumsy foul on Ljuboja.

The striker dusted himself off to drive a powerful 20-yard free-kick past Schwarzer's left hand. Time will tell whether it was too little, too late.

Result: VFB Stuttgart 1, Middlesbrough 2.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.