Bundesliga side Hoffenheim avoided an upset in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal this evening by overcoming second-tier outfit Aalen 2-0 at Scholz-Arena.
It took top-flight Hoffenheim 15 minutes to break the deadlock as Eugen Polanski fired across goal into the bottom corner from seven yards out.
Soon after it was almost 2-0 to the visitors as they squandered a flurry of close-range chances, with Aalen unable to clear their lines from a corner.
Aalen finished the first half strongly and were close to equalising in the 36th minute when Andreas Hofmann's strike from just inside the area rattled the crossbar.
They would fall two behind, though, when Kevin Volland collected Sven Schipplock's pass and finished low like Polanski into the far corner.
Going 2-0 down didn't appear to hurt Aalen and they were close to halving the deficit moments later when Collin Quaner was denied from close range by Jens Grahl.
However, they were unable to find a way past Hoffenheim, who advance to the quarter-finals as they chase victory in the competition for the first time.
Pascal Lemesre
