Bayern Bow Out

Bayern coach Felix Magath said the only reason why his side was knocked out was because they failed to capitalize on their chances early in the match.

"We were too convinced that we had the match under control," he said. "This was not the case and then we made mistakes."

Both German national striker Bastian Schweinsteiger and Dutch international Roy Makaay were guilty of failing to find the net in the game's early minutes despite their team being highly favored and having the better of play.

Even Aachen coach Michael Frontzeck admitted Bayern were the better side in the first half and should have taken the lead.

"We had three shots and made three goals," he said "That of course is very good, but Bayern were really better."

While the 20,800 fans packed into Aachen's sold-out Tivoli stadium cheered their team after the final whistle, the Bavarians went to the locker room with their hopes of defending the cup title for a third season quashed.

"Of course we are disappointed as we wanted to defend the title," Magath said. "But we lost against a strong and fighting Aachen side. I think it was a terrific match and the spectators would have enjoyed it."

Aachen were also responsible for doing away with the Bavarians the last time they failed to win the German Cup in 2004.

Aachen up 3-0 at halftime

Munich were down three goals by the break as Laurentiu Reghecampf opened the scoring with a freekick in the 11th minute. He added a second six minutes from the break after going around two markers before unleashing a powerful shot leaving no chance for Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing, who got a rare chance between the posts ahead of former Germany keeper Oliver Kahn.

Marius Ebbers gave the home side a convincing lead in the last minute of the first half after being sent through by Matthias Lehmann.

But Bayern staged a furious comeback in the second 45 minutes and cut the difference to one goal.

Poldi got Bayern back in game

Magath brought on Lukas Podolski in the second half for the disappointing Andreas Ottl and the Germany striker took just two minutes to make his mark after being set up by strike partner Roy Makaay.

Podolski went into the Aachen area and pushed the ball past goalkeeper Stephan Straub.

Dutch international Mark van Bommel gave his side a second goal in the 68th minute with a shot from 16 meters. Bayern continued pushing forward in search of an equalizer, but that allowed Aachen the opportunity to counter and Jan Schlaudraff, whom Bayern is trying to sign, used one of the chances to put the game beyond the holders' reach.

"We were running on fumes at the end," Schlaudraff said. "We knew it would be tough to stop Bayern from showing their individual qualities and it certainly was. They had chances but the difference was we took ours."

Cup up for grabs as favorites watch from home

With favorites Bayern out the cup looks wide open particularly as Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, joint leaders in the league, have also been eliminated.

Earlier Bundesliga sides Hanover 96 and VfL Wolfsburg made no mistakes against lower league opposition as they won their matches.

Hanover scored two minutes into injury time in the first half to secure a 1-0 victory against high-flying second division club MSV Duisburg.

The only goal of the game came from a long-range effort by Hanno Balitsch, whose shot from 25 meters slammed into the net past goalkeeper Georg Koch, who should have done better though.

Final eight decided

In Fürth, Wolfsburg managed to oust the local second division club Greuther Fürth 3-1. Jacek Krzynowek opened the scoring for the visitors in the 17th minute, Argentine Diego Klimowicz added a second in the 56th minute.

The second division team had brief hopes of coming back into the game after midfielder Stephan Schröck pulled one back for the home side, but Dutch striker Rick Hoogendorp made sure of Wolfsburg's passage into the next round with a third goal for the visitors in injury time.

In an all-second division clash Kickers Offenbach beat Wacker Burghausen 2-1 with a last-gasp goal scored by Dino Toppmöller. Offenbach, whose last appearance in the quarter-finals of the German Cup dates back 16 years, is the only second division club in the round of the last eight.

On Tuesday, VfB Stuttgart advanced with a 4-1 victory at VfL Bochum, while Eintracht Frankfurt beat Cologne 3-1 after extra time.

Nuremberg needed four saves by their second choice goalkeeper to beat second division SpVgg Unterhaching 2-1 on penalties, while Hertha Berlin won 3-0 at third division VfL Osnabrueck.

The quarter-finals will be played on Feb. 27-28.