Former Bundesliga teams Hertha Berlin and Cologne advanced to the second round of the German Cup in varying ways on Sunday. Hertha secured a convincing 5-1 victory over third-division team Hansa Rostock on the road, while Cologne, recently relegated from the top division, narrowly defeated third-tier Sandhausen 3-2 after extra time despite squandering a 2-0 lead.

In other matches, second-division team Jahn Regensburg caused an upset by defeating Bundesliga club Bochum 1-0. Augsburg, the only other top-flight team in action on Sunday, staged a comeback to beat fourth-tier Viktoria Berlin 4-1.

Second-division side Elversberg recorded the most significant win of the first round with a commanding 7-0 triumph over Hildesheim. Hamburger SV also had a dominant performance, winning 7-1 against fourth-tier Meppen.

Powerhouses Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Union Berlin, and Leipzig had already secured their spots in the next round earlier in the weekend. However, defending champions Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart had their first-round fixtures postponed due to their participation in the German Supercup on Saturday.