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Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac handed new signing Lucas Hernandez a start against Schalke as the defending champions looked for their first win of the season to keep pace with early pacesetters Borussia Dortmund.
The visitors made a sharp start in Gelsenkirchen and reaped rewards for their positive approach when Kingsley Coman was brought down clumsily inside the box. The referee had no qualms in pointing to the spot.
Up stepped Bayern sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski who calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net to open the scoring for the visitors, who went into halftime with their noses in front.
Four minutes into the second half and Bayern won a freekick from 25 yards out. Lewandowski was in the thick of the action again, his curling effort nestling in the top-left corner to double Bayern's advantage.
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The home side looked deflated and bereft of ideas as they strode forward with little intent. At the hour mark, Kovac withdrew Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller, replacing them with debutants Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho.
Schalke had a shout for a penalty when Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard seemed to touch the ball with his hand inside the box but the referee waved play on and VAR was not called into action.
Bayern promptly added insult to injury when Coman launched a counterattack down the right to feed Lewandowski who took a touch before unleashing a low shot past the Schalke keeper Neto to score his third of the game.
The Polish marksman, who notched up his seventh Bundesliga hattrick for the Bavarian club, has scored all five of Bayern's goals this campaign and has set his sights on Gerd Muller's 1971-72 record tally of 40 goals in a single season.
Bayern welcome a struggling Mainz side to the Allianz Arena in Munich for their next Bundesliga fixture.
