Leverkusen beats Duesseldorf 3-2 Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP) -- Bayer Leverkusen held on for a 3-2 win over Fortuna Duesseldorf to extend its unbeaten Bundesliga run to seven games on Sunday.

Leverkusen winger Sidney Sam opened the scoring with a deft chip in the 16th minute, only for Nando Rafael to equalize with a deflected header from a corner in the 40th.

Andre Schuerrle replied immediately, blasting home from close range after the visiting defense failed to clear Sam's cross.

The game seemed to swing in Fortuna's favor in the 65th, when Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes was sent off for a clumsy challenge on Adam Bodzek.

But Leverkusen scored again two minutes later, when Daniel Carvajal blocked a shot and chased the ball down the length of the pitch before crossing for Gonzalo Castro to tap into the empty net.

"I'm really mad today, really mad, because I felt there was something in it for us here,'' said Duesseldorf coach Norbert Meier.

Duesseldorf goalkeeper Fabian Giefer prevented his former side going further ahead with an outstanding save from Castro, before blocking Carvajal on the rebound.

Bodzek pulled one back from distance with four minutes remaining to set up a frenetic finale, with substitute Gerrit Wegkamp agonizingly close to securing the equalizer in injury time.

"It's a shame. We could have made it 3-3,'' Giefer said.

Werder Bremen was scheduled to host Mainz in Sunday's late game.