Holders Bayern Munich eased their way into the DFB-Pokal semi-finals with a 5-0 rout of hapless Hamburg on Wednesday while Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock quarter-final exit.
Holders Bayern have avoided rivals Borussia Dortmund in the draw for April’s semi-finals.
Munich will host second-division Kaiserslautern and Dortmund at home to Wolfsburg with the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 17.
Bayern’s Croatia international striker Mario Mandzukic scored a hat-trick at Hamburg as the hosts’ defence capitulated in what could be coach Bert van Marwijk’s last game in charge.
After setting an unwanted club record by losing all of their last six league matches, Hamburg were again trounced at their Imtech Arena with Mandzukic, Dante and Arjen Robben scoring Bayern’s first three goals.
Croatia’s Mandzukic then added two more in as many second-half minutes as Bayern finished with a flurry.
Having also lost 3-0 at home to Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Hamburg have leaked eight goals without reply in their last two games and are second from bottom in the Bundesliga.
Ex-Holland coach Van Marwijk’s position grows ever more precarious.
“They overpowered us and were outstanding,” admitted Hamburg’s director of sport Oliver Kreuzer, whose side faces bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
“I hope we will see a reaction from our team.
“Braunschweig aren’t Bayern Munich, but with regard to everything else, I have no idea (what will happen).”
With an internal battle raging behind the scenes between Hamburg’s Supervisory and Executive boards, Van Marwijk could well have had his last game in charge having only taken charge in September.
Ex-Bayern, Schalke and Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is widely tipped as the favourite to take over.
Bayern were rarely troubled and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer needed 15 minutes to get his first touch of the ball and the opening goal came just six minute later.
Germany midfielder Mario Goetze found some space and dribbled to the goal-line, held off his marker and squared for Mandzukic to tap home.
Brazil centre-back Dante followed that up with a header four minutes later from a Toni Kroos corner to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break.
Holland winger Arjen Robben then chested down a beautiful long ball from Kroos and fired past Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler on 54 minutes.
Mandzukic made it 4-0 when he profited again from another superb piece of skill from Goetze on 74 minutes, then fired home his third with 76 minutes gone.
There was more good news for Bayern as Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger came on for the last 25 minutes after three months out with an ankle injury.
“Now come the games which will be decided by small things. We have to get through them,” said Schweinsteiger, with Bayern already looking ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 clash at Arsenal.
Bayern will be joined in the draw for April’s semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and second-division Kaiserlautern, who inflicted a shock 1-0 defeat on Bayer Leverkusen.
A 114th-minute goal from Norway midfielder Ruben Jenssen was enough to see Kaiserlautern into the last four as the soul non-Bundesliga representative.
Wolfsburg also booked their place with a 3-2 win at Hoffenheim with Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez converting two first-half penalties for Wolves, but was then sent off for a second yellow card after 70 minutes.
On Tuesday, 2012 DFB-Pokal winners Dortmund booked their semi-final berth with Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang heading the winner in their 1-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt.