There was only one downside to watching Barcelona carve out a 2-0 win over Stuttgart at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion on Tuesday — it was raining dead insects. Every few seconds a handful of midges would fly straight into the floodlights above the press seats and drop on my head, or between the keys of my laptop (they’re still there, which is my excuse if there are any spelling mistakes).

This match was the fourth big sporting event I’d attended in Stuttgart in a matter of days. First there was the World Athletics Final, in the same stadium, then it was the world cycling championships up the road at Killesberg Park, and all this week the women’s tennis grand prix is going on next door at the Porsche Arena.

The football beat them all hands down in terms of the sheer sense of occasion, which will come as no surprise to anyone who regularly attends Champions League matches (unless you were at Chelsea v Rosenborg, perhaps).

It starts with that Champions League anthem, a piece of music that never fails to get the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up (and I was glad to hear Thierry Henry saying much the same thing). I’m still not sure about the words. They’re supposed to be a mixture of English, French and German, at least according to wikipedia, but it mostly sounds like Euro-gibber.

Then we got to see Barcelona set about Stuttgart with one of the most attacking line-ups I’ve ever seen. Ronaldinho was back fit, and Frank Rijkaard played him alongside Henry and Messi up front, ahead of Xavi, Iniesta and Deco in a flyweight midfield.

For most of the first half-hour the 51,000 crowd were left to applaud the saves of Raphael Schaefer and let out the odd involuntary gasp at Ronaldinho’s flicks and Messi’s passing (he seems to find angles no one else can, after all). But Stuttgart weren’t content with containment and they attacked Barca’s weakened central defence with gusto, particularly at the end of the first half and the start of the second. 

In the end softly conceded goals from Carles Puyol and Messi did for the Germans, who have zero points from their two games and will struggle to get out of a group led by Barca and Rangers, with two wins from two.

There are two ways to face a Barcelona team in this sort of form: close lines, put everyone behind the ball and wait for a chance on the break, or throw everything you have at them, attack any weakness and never give up. Stuttgart chose the latter route, and it made for a great match.

Shame about those dead insects, but it’s about time I had a haircut anyway.

Kevin Fylan, Stuttgart

PHOTO: Ronaldinho flicks the ball up during Baracelona’s Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart in Stuttgart October 2, 2007. REUTERS/Thomas Bohlen