Hamburg- Bayern Munich face a tough start to the football year in Germany when they travel to VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday in the last 16 of the German Cup.

Bayern will also have one eye on a trip to SV Hamburg on Friday as the league season resumes following its winter break.

The cup holders are at full strength as they seek to continue their form of the end of last year which saw them move level on points with league leaders Hoffenheim.

Stuttgart held Bayern to a 2-2 draw in the last game of last year. Although only 10th in the league, the 2006/2007 champions have picked up three wins and two draws in their last five games in the league and UEFA Cup since Markus Babbel took on coaching duties.

"Of course, it could be easier but on the other hand these matches are a good yardstick. We will know immediately where we stand," Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann said of his side's two forthcoming games in an interview with the German football federation website.

Former striker Klinsmann, who played for VfB Stuttgart between 1984 and 1989, again comes up against his old Bayern Munich team-mate Babbel.

"The game in Stuttgart is 50-50, and the same goes for the match in Hamburg," he said. "But I am convinced that if we have our best side available we can make a good start to the second half of the season."

In another top tie of the round, last year's losing finalists Borussia Dortmund take on Werder Bremen on Wednesday in a rematch of last seaon's game in the same round which Dortmund won.

Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, a winter loan signing from Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to make his debut for Dortmund against a Bremen side which has struggled this season.

Playmaker Diego is, however, available for Bremen before sitting out a three-match league ban starting with Sunday's home match against Arminia Bielefeld.

Werder sports director Klaus Allofs says the Brazilian is "under intensive observation" after being in the media spotlight, most recently for a breath test after being stopped by police in Bremen.

However, Allofs has rejected speculation Werder were considering selling the midfielder.

"Diego has a contract until 2011. We want to keep him here as long as possible. He is not for sale," Allofs said in a newspaper interview.

In another all-Bundesliga encounter, Bayer Leverkusen take on Energie Cottbus on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, SV Hamburg play second-division 1860 Munich on Tuesday, while on the same evening Schalke 04 visit third-division Carl Zeiss Jena, and Freiburg meet Mainz in an all-second-division tie.

In other games Wednesday, Bundesliga side Wolfsburg face second-division Hansa Rostock, while top-flight Karlsruhe are up against second-division Wehen Wiesbaden. (dpa)