[sportsfan2006]

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 Asia, but I'm back now.

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.

The biggest surprise lurking out there would be from third-division side VfL Osnabruck, who hosts top-flight and heavy favourite Hertha BSC Berlin.

Claus-Dieter Wollitz's Osnabruck 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.

Osnabruck 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.

"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.

Hertha Berlin -- currently fifth in the Bundesliga -- has struggled in recent years against Regional league teams, losing to Kiel, Braunschweig and St. Pauli over the years.

Plus, coach Falko Goetz will be missing playmaker Yildiray Basturk, defender Dick van Burik and midfielder Ellery Cairo.

This could be the surprise that always comes in this competition.

Another first-division team with an upset staring it straight in the face is Hanover 96, which takes on second-division side MSV Duisburg.

Hanover 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.

And Duisburg, meanwhile, has only lost once all season (Oct. 2 against Hansa Rostock), including four wins in its last six second-division games.

Rudi Bommer's team, which may miss playmaker Youssef Mokhtari for the Hanover game, knocked off top-flight Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in extra time in the second round.

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.

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.

"We want to defend our title," Bayern striker Roy Makaay said confidently.

The main move of note is Bayern coach Felix Magath intending to play Michael Rensing between the posts instead of Oliver Kahn.

The other top Bundesliga team in the competition is VfB Stuttgart, which faces fellow top-flight side VfL Bochum.

There are three other first division-second division battles (Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Koln; Greuther Furth vs. VfL Wolfsburg; Nurnberg vs. Unterhaching) and one matchup of second-division sides (Kickers Offenbach vs. Wacker Burghausen).

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