By David Hein
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
First off, I'm glad to be back writing after two weeks away. I was off on assignment in <st1
lace w:st="on">Asia</st1lace>, but I'm back now.<o></o>
<o></o>
And I figured it'd be interesting to look for an upset in the Round of 16 of the German Cup, which will be played Tuesday and Wednesday. <o></o>
<o></o>
The biggest surprise lurking out there would be from third-division side VfL Osnabruck, who hosts top-flight and heavy favourite Hertha BSC Berlin.<o></o>
<o></o>
Claus-Dieter Wollitz's <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Osnabruck</st1lace></st1:city> side leads the Regional league North after three straight victories. It also notched a 2-1 victory over first-division Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Cup second round.<o></o>
<o></o>
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Osnabruck</st1lace></st1:city> is trying to make the quarterfinals of the German Cup for the first time since 1989-90, when Wollitz was playing. But it has a strong record against Hertha -- 3-2-2 in seven games between 1989 and 1993, their last meeting.<o></o>
<o></o>
"We just want to play a good game and stay with them until the end -- that's the least we can do," said Wollitz, who will likely miss striker Addy-Waku Menga and midfielder Mathias Surmann.<o></o>
<o></o>
Hertha <st1:state w:st="on">Berlin</st1:state> -- currently fifth in the Bundesliga -- has struggled in recent years against Regional league teams, losing to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Kiel</st1lace></st1:city>, Braunschweig and St. Pauli over the years.<o></o>
<o></o>
Plus, coach Falko Goetz will be missing playmaker Yildiray Basturk, defender Dick van Burik and midfielder Ellery Cairo.<o></o>
<o></o>
This could be the surprise that always comes in this competition.<o></o>
<o></o>
Another first-division team with an upset staring it straight in the face is Hanover 96, which takes on second-division side MSV Duisburg.<o></o>
<o></o>
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Hanover</st1lace></st1:state> has played horrible at home all season -- gaining just six points from eight games. It reached the Round of 16 with a road victory against Borussia Dortmund.<o></o>
<o></o>
And <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Duisburg</st1lace></st1:city>, meanwhile, has only lost once all season (Oct. 2 against Hansa Rostock), including four wins in its last six second-division games. <o></o>
<o></o>
Rudi Bommer's team, which may miss playmaker Youssef Mokhtari for the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Hanover</st1lace></st1:state> game, knocked off top-flight Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in extra time in the second round. <o></o>
<o></o>
The biggest name remaining in the Round of 16 is two-time reigning Cup champion Bayern Munich, which is a heavy favourite against first-division promoted side Alemannia Aachen, which made the final in 2004.<o></o>
<o></o>
The 13-time cup winner Bayern is playing great football at the moment, not having lost in its last eight Bundesliga and Champions League games with five wins. <o></o>
<o></o>
"We want to defend our title," Bayern striker Roy Makaay said confidently. <o></o>
<o></o>
The main move of note is Bayern coach Felix Magath intending to play Michael Rensing between the posts instead of Oliver Kahn.<o></o>
<o></o>
The other top Bundesliga team in the competition is VfB Stuttgart, which faces fellow top-flight side VfL Bochum.<o></o>
<o></o>
There are three other first division-second division battles (Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Koln; Greuther Furth vs. VfL Wolfsburg; <st1lace w:st="on">Nurnberg</st1lace> vs. Unterhaching) and one matchup of second-division sides (Kickers Offenbach vs. Wacker Burghausen). <o></o>
<o> </o>
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
First off, I'm glad to be back writing after two weeks away. I was off on assignment in <st1
lace w:st="on">Asia</st1lace>, but I'm back now.<o></o><o
></o>And I figured it'd be interesting to look for an upset in the Round of 16 of the German Cup, which will be played Tuesday and Wednesday. <o
></o><o
></o>The biggest surprise lurking out there would be from third-division side VfL Osnabruck, who hosts top-flight and heavy favourite Hertha BSC Berlin.<o
></o><o
></o>Claus-Dieter Wollitz's <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Osnabruck</st1lace></st1:city> side leads the Regional league North after three straight victories. It also notched a 2-1 victory over first-division Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Cup second round.<o></o><o
></o><st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Osnabruck</st1lace></st1:city> is trying to make the quarterfinals of the German Cup for the first time since 1989-90, when Wollitz was playing. But it has a strong record against Hertha -- 3-2-2 in seven games between 1989 and 1993, their last meeting.<o></o><o
></o>"We just want to play a good game and stay with them until the end -- that's the least we can do," said Wollitz, who will likely miss striker Addy-Waku Menga and midfielder Mathias Surmann.<o
></o><o
></o>Hertha <st1:state w:st="on">Berlin</st1:state> -- currently fifth in the Bundesliga -- has struggled in recent years against Regional league teams, losing to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Kiel</st1lace></st1:city>, Braunschweig and St. Pauli over the years.<o></o><o
></o>Plus, coach Falko Goetz will be missing playmaker Yildiray Basturk, defender Dick van Burik and midfielder Ellery Cairo.<o
></o><o
></o>This could be the surprise that always comes in this competition.<o
></o><o
></o>Another first-division team with an upset staring it straight in the face is Hanover 96, which takes on second-division side MSV Duisburg.<o
></o><o
></o><st1:state w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Hanover</st1lace></st1:state> has played horrible at home all season -- gaining just six points from eight games. It reached the Round of 16 with a road victory against Borussia Dortmund.<o></o><o
></o>And <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Duisburg</st1lace></st1:city>, meanwhile, has only lost once all season (Oct. 2 against Hansa Rostock), including four wins in its last six second-division games. <o></o><o
></o>Rudi Bommer's team, which may miss playmaker Youssef Mokhtari for the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Hanover</st1lace></st1:state> game, knocked off top-flight Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in extra time in the second round. <o></o><o
></o>The biggest name remaining in the Round of 16 is two-time reigning Cup champion Bayern Munich, which is a heavy favourite against first-division promoted side Alemannia Aachen, which made the final in 2004.<o
></o><o
></o>The 13-time cup winner Bayern is playing great football at the moment, not having lost in its last eight Bundesliga and Champions League games with five wins. <o
></o><o
></o>"We want to defend our title," Bayern striker Roy Makaay said confidently. <o
></o><o
></o>The main move of note is Bayern coach Felix Magath intending to play Michael Rensing between the posts instead of Oliver Kahn.<o
></o><o
></o>The other top Bundesliga team in the competition is VfB Stuttgart, which faces fellow top-flight side VfL Bochum.<o
></o><o
></o>There are three other first division-second division battles (Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Koln; Greuther Furth vs. VfL Wolfsburg; <st1
lace w:st="on">Nurnberg</st1lace> vs. Unterhaching) and one matchup of second-division sides (Kickers Offenbach vs. Wacker Burghausen). <o></o><o
> </o>
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