Bayern gave Hertha no chance, with Arjen Robben scoring on his league comeback from injury last season after goals from Franck Ribery and Thiago Alcantara.
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Hertha came into the match as the only team with a flawless 3-0 record, alongside Bayern, but it was outclassed, and never threatened to score.
Asked during the break what was the moment from his team’s view, Hertha’s director Michael Preetz replied, “the halftime whistle”.
The home side continued to dominate and Javi Martinez saw a goal-bound header from Ribery’s corner cleared off the goalline in the 15th minute.
Second-half goals by Anthony Modeste and Simon Zoller for the visitors sealed Cologne’s victory after Japan’s Yuya Osaka’s first half strike had cancelled out Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s early goal for Schalke.
It was the Dutch international’s first appearance of the season after overcoming a long-term groin injury and he capped it with a typical Robben finish, cutting in from the right to bend a left-footed shot inside the far post.
Ribery was all over the muddy pitch but Bayern could not score again in the first half.
Although both sides started the game as the only Bundesliga clubs to have posted maximum points from their first three matches of the season, there only ever looked like being one victor on the night. Lewandowski had a goal waived offsides and while Hertha was trying to get cute by playing the ball out of their own end, Thiago walked in unseen and worked the ball free from Allan, the young 19 year old midfielder on loan from Liverpool. The Netherlands global had decent claims for a penalty, before firing one of his trademark goals on 72 minutes, cutting back inside onto his left foot for the final goal of the evening – his 78th Bundesliga goal in 143 appearances for the Bavarians.
Moenchengladbach needed an 84th-minute goal from Fabian Johnson to clinch a point against the newcomers, who had gone ahead through Timo Werner in the sixth. The Frenchman now has two goals and four assists from four Bundesliga matches this term.
The change of coach brought no improvement for Werder Bremen, which remains bottom with four losses in four matches.
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Leverkusen’s Charles Aranguiz shot wide from the penalty spot as his team remained on one win and a disappointing 12th place.
