Hamburg  - Sami Khedira's late equalizer on Saturday highlighted the fact that Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were not always glorious in the first half of the season.

Munich had be content with a 2-2 draw at VfB Stuttgart, a result that gave them the league lead for the first time but also allowed surprise team TSG Hoffenheim to hibernate atop the standings with a draw against Schalke 04 later Sunday.

Munich were the centre of a massive hype when former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann took over as new helmsman in summer, changing training methods and the daily life of his players whom he liked to gather in a new training centre featuring Buddha statues.

But there was no lightness of being at first as Munich won just two of the opening six games. Klinsmann's authority was swiftly questioned once they crashed 5-2 at home against Werder Bremen.

However, French superstar Franck Ribery then returned from injury and Klinsmann threw some tactical changes overboard as Munich went unbeaten in the remaining 11 league matches and 16 overall, taking first place in their Champions League group.

"The team was first class over the past three months. It is great fun to work with," said Klinsmann.

The headlines around Munich were predictable, but it came as a complete surprise that Hoffenheim stole the show on the pitch with attractive attacking football under coach Ralf Rangnick.

The promoted team was first alienated over its sponsor, former junior team player Dietmar Hopp, a German billionaire co-founder of software giants SAP.

But hate soon turned into awe as Vedad Ibisevic scored a league- leading 18 goals and together with the likes of Demba Ba and Chinedu Obasi tore defences apart almost at will.

High-scoring Hoffenheim were even classy in defeat, losing 5-4 in Bremen after fighting from 4-1 down to 4-4. They were at least on equal terms with Munich on December 5 as well before going down 2-1 on an injury-time strike from Luca Toni in one of the classiest matches in Bundesliga history.

"The way we are playing right now comes very close to the prefect football every fan wants to see," Hopp said recently.

Bayer Leverkusen were the other team to make headlines with skillful displays under new coach Bruno Labbadia before the perennial runners-up from a decade ago ran out of steam over the last weeks.

Leverkusen rank fifth with 32 points, three behind Munich, two behind Hoffenheim and one adrift of Hertha Berlin and SV Hamburg.

Hertha enjoyed their best first half of the season in Bundesliga history despite ongoing bickering between star striker Marko Pantelic and coach Lucien Favre.

Hamburg led the way early on the year one after the departure of star midfielder Rafael van der Vaart to Real Madrid. Newly-hired Croatia striker Mladen Petric was an instant hit but compatriot Ivica Olic could be on his way to Munich after the season.

Munich dominated the transfer gossip through frustrated Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who has been linked with his former club Cologne. But at least the Hamburg media was also speculating about some kind of swap deal with Olic.

Disappointing teams include Bremen, who played indifferently and trail Munich by nine points in seventh place. Stuttgart sacked their 2007 Bundesliga title-winning coach Armin Veh as they languish in midfield.

Former greats Borussia Moenchengladbach are at the bottom and seem to be heading straight back into the second division as not even new coach Hans Meyer appears capable of saving them.

The second half of the season starts on January 30 with a showdown between Hamburg and Munich. (dpa)