Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany stressed that his side must remain hungry in their quest to regain the Bundesliga crown this season.
Bayern marked their return to the competition after the winter break with a 1–0 win over Bourssia Mönchengladbach, maintaining their four-point lead at the summit.
Kompany's side welcome lowly Hoffenheim to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday knowing they will end the first half of the season at the top of the table.
It is the 27th time that Bayern has led the Bundesliga halfway through a season. They won the title in 23 of the first 26 occasions, including the last nine in a row.
The last time Munich relinquished such a lead was to Jürgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in 2011/2012, and Kompany warned his players not to let history repeat itself.
“We have been quite strong. But what I like as a coach is working on the things we can still improve,” Kompany told a press conference.
“We have to go in with the same hunger. What you saw in the first part of the season was the hunger from a disappointing season before and that has to continue from now until the end of the season and then into the next season .”
Since a 0-1 defeat at Hansa Rostock in December 2001, Bayern are unbeaten in their last 22 Bundesliga games to end the first half of the season (sixteen won, six drawn).
Bayern, who lost to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal last month, have suffered just one defeat in the Bundesliga this season.
They also lost their last league match against Hoffenheim. Since the start of the 2016/2017 season, Hoffenheim have achieved 18 points from 16 top-flight matches against Bayern, with only Mönchengladbach gaining more in the same period (20).
“Every time we get the chance to perform, we have to show the same hunger, and we have to do the same against Hoffenheim tomorrow,” said Kompany.
“We don't plan to take a step less, but we want to see if we can push even more.”
Kompany also revealed he could still be without the in-form Jamal Musiala for the second game in a row, with the Germany international still recovering from illness.
This season, only Harry Kane (20) has been involved in more goals for Bayern in the Bundesliga than Musiala (11), with the 21-year-old's 23 chances in the league this season only bettered by Michael Olise (35) and Jozua Kimmich ( 38).
“Musiala, it is not certain that he will be with us tomorrow. We will see tomorrow. If he could even be in the squad, that would be positive for us,” Kompany concluded.
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