- James RodrÃguez (8')
- Robert Lewandowski (64' Pen)
James scores as Bayern Munich beat Schalke, Weston McKinnie limps off
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich eased past Schalke 2-0 on Saturday to make it four wins from four league matches and leave their opponents languishing at the bottom of the table.
Goals from James Rodriguez and a second-half Robert Lewandowski penalty lifted Bayern to 12 points, two ahead of second-placed Hertha Berlin, who beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 thanks to a Vedad Ibisevic double.
Preseason title contenders Schalke have now lost all four Bundesliga matches and are anchored in last place. In more bad news for the hosts, Weston McKennie limped off after James unintentionally kicked the U.S. international in the leg in a battle for possession.
McKennie, who started for Schalke in the Champions League in midweek, missed his team's defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend after returning from international duty with a bruised knee.
"My team dominated for 90 minutes and allowed nothing in our own half," Bayern coach Niko Kovac told reporters following the match.
"We created many chances but scored too few goals. But overall it was a great performance. We saw a really, really good Bundesliga game."
James put the visitors in front after eight minutes, powering his near-post header from a Joshua Kimmich corner past Schalke keeper Ralf Fahrmann.
David Alaba rattled Fahrmann's crossbar with a curled free kick a little later as Bayern kept up the pressure and Schalke, last season's runners-up, stayed toothless.
Pressure on coach Domenico Tedesco has been mounting following their disastrous start and he had a heated exchange with Franco di Santo after the player was substituted.
"I am very angry because we had discussed it before the game," Tedesco said of Di Santo's substitution. "He was emotional. We will discuss this internally but it is only normal that I am disappointed by him."
James should have added another goal five minutes after the restart but somehow fired wide in front of an open goal.
But he made amends for his miss when he earned a 64th-minute penalty that Lewandowski coolly converted.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
Game Information
German Bundesliga Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | 30 | 25 | 5 | 0 | +55 | 80 |
| Bayern Munich | 30 | 21 | 3 | 6 | +50 | 66 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | +32 | 63 |
| RB Leipzig | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | +35 | 59 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | +23 | 57 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | +6 | 45 |
| SC Freiburg | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | -11 | 40 |
| FC Augsburg | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | -1 | 39 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 39 |
| 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | -9 | 34 |
| Werder Bremen | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | -12 | 34 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | -7 | 31 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | -15 | 31 |
| 1. FC Union Berlin | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | -24 | 29 |
| Mainz | 30 | 5 | 12 | 13 | -17 | 27 |
| VfL Bochum | 30 | 5 | 12 | 13 | -26 | 27 |
| FC Cologne | 30 | 4 | 10 | 16 | -30 | 22 |
| SV Darmstadt 98 | 30 | 3 | 8 | 19 | -42 | 17 |
Bundesliga News