Speaking after Borussia Dortmund's hard-fought 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich on Saturday, Nico Schlotterbeck said he believes the Black and Yellows are better than they are often given credit for in Germany.
The draw ensured Dortmund remain level on points with league leaders Bayern, trailing only on goal difference, and Schlotterbeck hopes a genuine title race will emerge as the season progresses.
"I think we're still underrated in Germany, partly because people keep saying that we don't play the best football. But we are good, and we know it. If we keep playing like this, I'm confident that we can keep things open for a very long time," Schlotterbeck told Kicker.
While acknowledging that Bayern are favourites to retain the title, the centre-back believes the Black and Yellows can challenge them if they continue to perform at their best.
"The only problem is that there are still more than 25 matchdays to go. We're in a good position and level on points with Bayern. You simply have to keep going and keep the title race open. We have a good team and can achieve something. But Bayern are the favourites, and we're the challengers," he said.
"However, if we perform over the coming weeks as we did today – or as we have done in certain halves of games this season – then we're in a good place and can certainly give ourselves a chance of keeping the title race open for a long time."
While admitting that "not everything was perfect" in Saturday's draw against a side he himself has described as the best Bayern team of the last 10 or 15 years, Schlotterbeck believes Dortmund proved they can cause the Bavarians problems.
"We are good too. We showed that again today. The point was deserved. It's only one point, with plenty more still up for grabs in the title race, but it's already one more point than we managed to get against Bayern last season. We stuck with it, we're still level on points, and we put in a very solid performance – that's what I'm happiest about," he remarked.
