Bernhard Langer showed what he is still capable of at 54 with a superb second round burst at the BMW International Open in Cologne.

Only joint 90th after a level par opening 72, the twice Masters Tournament champion had four birdies in a row from the short 11th - his second - and then added another at the 577 yard 16th.

Out in 31, Langer two-putted from 18 feet for a sixth birdie of the day on the long third, but had his first bogey two holes later and returned to five under where he finished the day with a five under par round of 67 that moved him up into a tie for 20th on five under par, only four behind pacesetters Paul McGinley, Chris Wood and Fabrizio Zanotti.

A true German sporting icon, the 42-times European Tour Champion joked afterwards that he hoped the national football team - who play Greece in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 this evening - could also put on a show of similar quality.

He laughed: "If an old guy like me can shoot 67 round here then they [the German football side] can do the same tonight!"