Hyypia: Bayern have not won title yet
Bayer Leverkusen team manager Sami Hyypia believes his club can still compete for the Bundesliga title after the winter break.
At the midway point of the campaign Leverkusen are second in the table, three points ahead of defending champions Borussia Dortmund and trailing Bayern Munich by nine points.
Leverkusen are the only side to have beaten Bayern in the league this season, winning 2-1 at the Allianz Arena back in October.
Hyypia is cautiously optimistic that, despite Bayern's superior resources, Leverkusen will not give up hope on claiming a first ever league title.
"I can't say we will be chasing Bayern in the second half. Bayern have a big squad and until now have done everything right," Hyypia told reporters. "But they have not won the title yet.
"There are still 17 games to be played and everything is possible in football."
If they are to overturn Bayern's nine-point lead and claim the title it would equal to biggest comeback Bundesliga history. In the 2008/09 season Wolfsburg were ranked ninth at Christmas and trailed leaders Hoffenheim by nine points. Hoffenheim dropped down to seventh and Wolfsburg went on to claim the championship, aided by a run of 10 straight wins in the second half of the campaign.
