A strike from Marco Reus gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 home German Cup win over Hoffenheim while Bayer Leverkusen needed a late flurry of goals to reach the last 16 on Wednesday.
With Saturday's clash against rivals Bayern Munich – along with the following Tuesday's crucial Champions League meeting with Newcastle – in mind, Dortmund manager Edin Terzic made six changes to his starting XI.
Teenagers Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Youssoufa Moukoko were given rare starts to add spark to the home attack, but it was veteran forward Reus who gave Dortmund the lead late in the opening half.
Man City junior Bynoe-Gittens dribbled down the left flank and shaped to shoot before finding Reus who looped in a one-touch finish to give Dortmund a deserved halftime lead.
The hosts spurned chances but Hoffenheim posed little danger and were reduced to 10 men in injury time when former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak saw red.
Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen scored three goals in the final 15 minutes to win 5-2 at third-division Sandhausen.
Argentinian World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios gave Leverkusen an early lead from the spot, converting off the left post after Amine Adli was brought down in the box.
Sandhausen levelled twice early in the second half, Christoph Ehlich and Yassin Ben Balla scoring either side of a Jonathan Tah goal for the visitors.
Leverkusen forward Adam Hlozek scored in the 75th minute to give the visitors the lead, before Adli added two of his own to round out a nervous victory.
Later on Wednesday, 20-time winners Bayern visit third-division Saarbruecken while five-time winners Eintracht Frankfurt travel to Viktoria Cologne, who also play in Germany's third tier.