Bayern Thumps Stuttgart in German Cup

Stuttgart players were fired up to get one over on their former mentor at the Olympic Stadium but Bayern were always in control and goals from Owen Hargreaves (35), Michael Ballack (69) and Roy Makaay (79) secured their passage into the last eight.

"We showed we wanted to win this game and did not let Stuttgart get a foothold in the match," explained Magath. "We are playing some good football at the moment and I hope this continues. We are on course in the Champions League, in the next round of the German Cup and high up in the Bundesliga so I can not complain."

Dutch international Makaay went close in the first four minutes drilling a shot centimeters wide of the post before forcing a fine save from Stuttgart goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand. While Hildebrand was kept busy early in the match, all his opposite number Oliver Kahn had to do was fend off a pitch invader. The intruder wore a dog suit and raced the length of the pitch to embrace the surprised Kahn.

Just over half an hour into the match, Bayern got the breakthrough they deserved with England international Hargreaves unleashing a fantastic strike from 25 yards that nestled into the bottom corner of the net. Bayern's energetic pressing extended into the second half but the second goal did not come until the 69th minute.

Philipp Lahm, on loan from Bayern, fouled Torsten Frings and a free-kick was awarded on the edge of the area. Hargreaves whipped in a solid cross and Ballack rose highest to head home. Makaay finally got his goal in the 79th minute as Stuttgart conceded defeat.

"The way we played tonight we would get beat by a lot of teams not just Bayern Munich," explained German international Lahm.

Schalke beats Frankfurt

Elsewhere Schalke 04 took their league form - where they have won six matches in a row - into the Cup with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. "We are delighted to reach the next round and could even have scored a few more goals," said Schalke chief Ralf Rangnick.

Back-to-back winners in 2001 and 2002, Schalke missed a spot-kick through Brazilian Lincoln in the 18th minute but it was to prove irrelevant. Markus Husterer scored an unfortunate own goal in the 32nd minute and German Under-21 international Mike Hanke clinched their passage in the 77th minute.

SC Freiburg and Hansa Rostock were two other Bundesliga teams to reach the quarter-finals with victories over SC Paderborn and Ahlen respectively. There are seven Bundesliga teams in the quarter-finals with Bayern Amateure, Bayern Munich's second team, the only non first division outfit.

Cup holders Werder Bremen, Hannover and Arminia Bielefeld sealed their qualification on Tuesday.