Meyer heads Schalke into Cup quarters

Dec 19, 2017 - 10:32 PM Schalke 04's Max Meyer scored with a looping header just past the hour mark to secure a 1-0 victory over Cologne on Tuesday and send his side into the German Cup quarter-finals.

It took 31 minutes for Schalke, second in the Bundesliga, to get their first shot on target but their pressure after the break paid off when Meyer's glancing header went high over goalkeeper Timo Horn and into the net in the 63rd minute.

The hosts should have scored again but Horn denied them with a string of good saves.

"Things are going very, very well. We have a great team," said Meyer.

Mainz 05 also booked a place in the last eight with a 3-1 home win over VfB Stuttgart, while third division Paderborn caused an upset with a 1-0 victory over visiting second division club Ingolstadt to claim their first quarter-final spot.

Stuttgart led from captain Christian Gentner's low shot in off the far left post in the 41st minute.

They could have gone 2-0 ahead in the 53rd minute but Dennis Aogo saw his penalty kick saved by Robin Zentner, after Chadrac Akolo also failed from the spot against Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Mainz drew level with substitute Emil Berggreen's header off a corner in the 62nd while eight minutes later Abdou Diallo smashed home for 2-1 lead.

Suat Serdar effectively wrapped up matters in stoppage time with a third.

"We are super happy," Mainz sports director Rouven Schroeder said, while Stuttgart defender Andreas Beck lamented a host of chances for his team apart from the penalty.

"I am lost for words. We simply had to win this game."

Holders Borussia Dortmund travel to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the round's biggest game.

Source: AAP