Rampant Bayern brush Stuttgart aside

Holders FC Bayern München marched into the last eight of the German Cup with an impressive 5-1 win at VfB Stuttgart, while Hamburger SV, FC Schalke 04 and 1. FSV Mainz 05 also progressed.

Schweinsteiger double
Stuttgart had drawn 2-2 with Bayern in their final fixture before the winter break, a result which suggested a close encounter was in the offing at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Close it was not, though, as Bayern raced into a two-goal lead inside 16 minutes through Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni added a third just before half-time. Bayern started the second half like they had the first, Schweinsteiger making it 4-0 by converting a 55th-minute penalty before Zé Roberto fired in the fifth on the hour. Mario Gómez's goal five minutes from time was scant consolation for the hosts.

Two dismissed
Bayern are joined in the quarter-finals by Schalke, who won 4-1 at third-tier FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Jefferson Farfán (19, 66) put the Bundesliga club in control although Maltese striker Andre Schembri gave the hosts hope a minute later. Ivan Rakitić (71) restored the two-goal lead before both sides were reduced to ten men when Schalke's Gerald Asamoah and the hosts' Marko Riemer were dismissed within five minutes of each other. Kevin Kuranyi added a fourth in added time. Elsewhere, Croatian international Ivica Olić scored a hat-trick as Hamburg won 3-1 at home against TSV 1860 München, while 2. Bundesliga leaders Mainz were 3-1 winners at SC Freiburg.

Olić hat-trick
In the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup, Galatasaray AŞ were indebted to an injury-time equaliser from Ayhan Akman for preventing a second defeat in four days by a Sivasspor side who had took the lead in Istanbul on 74 minutes through Pini Balili. In the night's other tie, Denizlispor and Ankaraspor AŞ drew 1-1.