Bayern's poor start to the season has left them languishing in 11th in the Bundesliga table and an early cup exit loomed when Claudio Pizarro fired Bremen ahead after just two minutes.

But Schweinsteiger pulled the goal back after 27 minutes before the Germany international scored his side's winner with 16 minutes remaining.

Schalke just about put their own league woes to one side as they edged past second division side FSV Frankfurt 1-0.

Schalke have managed just one league win this season but returned to winning ways thanks to a Jose Manuel Jurado strike after 12 minutes.

Wolfsburg ended a three-game winless run with a morale-boosting 3-1 win at Victoria Hamburg.

Steve McClaren's men had been warned by managing director Dieter Hoeness to improve in the wake of their 2-1 loss at Nurnberg at the weekend and they responded with goals from Peter Pekarik, Josue and Marcel Schafer.

Cologne, bottom of the Bundesliga and without a win, finally provided their fans with some joy as they beat second division high-flyers 1860 Munich 3-0.

Second division Energie Cottbus upset their Bundesliga rivals Freiburg 2-1 while Srdan Lakic hit a hat-trick as Kaiserslautern beat Arminia Bielefeld 3-0.

Augsburg won a thrilling encounter against Bavarian rivals Greuther Furth 4-2 after extra time, while Hertha Berlin suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at Koblenz.