German Cup holders RB Leipzig have qualified for the Round of 16 with a 4-0 home demolition of Hamburg.
Leipzig, who won their first ever piece of silverware in this competition last year, scored two quick goals through Danish international Yussuf Poulsen in the 33rd and 36th minute to put the home side up 2-0 at halftime.
Poulsen looked set for a hat-trick early in the second half but was denied through a superb anticipation save from Hamburg ‘keeper Heuer Fernandes.
Any hope the three-time Cup winners and one-time heavyweights of German football had of a comeback was snuffed out by French defender Mohamed Simikan, who got a touch on an Emil Forsberg free kick to put the Red Bulls up 3-0.
German defender Benjamin Henrichs added a fourth in the 82nd minute to keep Leipzig on track for what would be their fourth final in the past five years.
Elsewhere, two early goals to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Hrvoje Smolcic helped 2018 the 2018 Cup winners coast to a 2-0 win over fifth-tier Stuttgarter Kickers.
Mainz ran out comfortable 3-0 winners away at Lubeck, while four-time winners Nuremberg won away at third-league Waldhof Mannheim thanks to a 62nd-minute own goal from Gerrit Gohlke.
On Thursday, Hanover welcome under-pressure Borussia Dortmund while Bayern Munich travel to face neighbours Augsburg.
