German football legend Lothar Matthaus feels Borussia Dortmund doesn't have the same individual quality or squad depth as their arch-rivals Bayern Munich, whom he tipped to retain their Bundesliga crown again this season.
The BVB began the new season brightly, winning their opening four matches of the competition for the first time in 11 years, but things have gone rather differently post the international break with Niko Kovac's side unable to win their next two.
A late collapse against Werder Bremen resulted in a 2-2 draw on 9 October was followed by a frustrating 0-0 draw away to relegation-battling Union Berlin the following weekend, allowing Bayern to draw level. The holders are in fact ahead of Dortmund in the league table right now by virtue of goal-difference.
Speaking at a public event hosted by Bundesliga sponsors, Matthaus commented on how the title race appears close right now and hoped that it would remain that way until the home stretch of the campaign. He said:
"The title race is still exciting, with four teams competing at the top separated by just a single point, something we have not seen for a long time. I hope the competition continues until the final stages and that the title is not settled six weeks before the end of the season. But things are likely to go differently, with Bayern Munich pulling clear at the top early on, as that is the usual scenario."
He further talked of Dortmund's meltdown post the international break.
"Dortmund are going through a small crisis for the first time, after dropping points again. But the most important thing is the way in which they lost those points."
Matthaus highlighted that while Dortmund are a good unit, they can't compete with Bayern on the scale of individual quality or the squad depth, which will eventually decide the winner of the title race.
"If Bayern were not in the Bundesliga, Dortmund would always be the most prominent candidate. The team has a good group, but it does not have the same quality in the starting line-up or in the depth of the squad."
He concluded with:
"This is the difference between the two clubs. The individual quality of Bayern's players is simply higher. This can be seen through the market value of the players and the club's revenues, as the financial resources are different. I think Dortmund have done very good work over the past two years, especially under the leadership of Niko Kovac."
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