Bayern Munich’s assistant manager Peter Hermann said absent boss Jupp Heynckes had been glued to his television as his side beat Schalke 2-1.

Heynckes, struggling with flu, was not at the Allianz Arena to see Robert Lewandowski equal his 45-year-old record of scoring in 11 straight homes games at the start of a Bundesliga season.

Lewandowski’s sixth-minute opener was his 31st goal of the season in all competitions and matched Heynckes’ feat of scoring in each of Borussia Monchengladbach’s first 11 home fixtures during the 1972-73 season.

Jupp Heynckes, left, was not at the Allianz Arena to see Robert Lewandowski equal his record
Jupp Heynckes, left, was not at the Allianz Arena to see Robert Lewandowski equal his record (Tim Goode/EMPICS)

Franco Di Santo equalised for Schalke just before the half-hour mark, but Thomas Muller struck Bayern’s winner before the interval.

“I think Jupp Heynckes was most engrossed in front of the TV,” Hermann told Bayern’s official website after his side restored their 18-point lead at the top of the table.

“He texted me, I’ll have to call him. ‘Congratulations on the victory,’ he said. It was a very tough match for us.

“Schalke pressed very well, they were always alert. Congratulations to the team, what they’ve done over the last few months is very good.”

Muller admitted his winner, scored from the tightest of angles after receiving a pass from Arjen Robben, had been lucky.

“Our coach will say I cheekily put it in,” Muller said. “I tried to square it. My hip was in a rather unhealthy position, and it just went into the corner.

“A keeper often speculates in situations like this, but I didn’t have the time to see it and then score. I was a bit lucky indeed.”

Defeat has left Schalke with just one win from their last six Bundesliga matches, but boss Domenico Tedesco was pleased with his side’s display and had no complaints with the result.

“We wanted to be robust against tall and strong defenders. We wanted to have possession. We did a good job,” he said.

“The team turned in a very good display, they were bold and didn’t only defend. But Bayern kept making the right decisions and ultimately saw it through thanks to their cleverness.”