23 October 2014 00:09
Stand-in Bayer Leverkusen captain Lars Bender felt his side were worth all three points in their 2-0 win over Zenit on Wednesday.
Leverkusen moved to the top of UEFA Champions League Group C with a routine success at BayArena that came thanks to second-half goals from Giulio Donati and Kyriakos Papadopoulos.
Brazilian full-back Wendell was sent off with 11 minutes to play in a fractious affair but Leverkusen avoided a late scare to secure maximum points.
And Bender – deputising as captain for the injured Simon Rolfes – was pleased with his team’s display.
“Today we have been very disciplined right from the start,” he said.
“It was a very tough game. But in the end, we really deserved the win.”
Leverkusen visit Zenit in two weeks’ time for their next fixture in Europe’s premier club competition.