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.
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