Bayer Leverkusen left it late to beat lowly SC Paderborn 3-0, courtesy of a header from Kyriakos Papadopoulos and a brace from Heung-Min Son in the last 15 minutes.
The two sides were inseparable in the first half, with hardly any chances testing either goalkeeper.
Leverkusen made the breakthrough midway through the second half as substitute Papadopoulos was left with a free header inside the box from a set piece.
Son doubled the lead with six minutes remaining after a lofted through-ball from Julian Brandt was headed across the face of goal by Gonzalo Castro, leaving the South Korean to finish the move.
The 22-year-old then became Bayer's top goalscorer this campaign, scoring his 10th league goal and second of the match when Brandt's through-ball was neatly curled past the keeper in the final few seconds.
The result puts Bayer in fourth place, while Paderborn remain in 16th.
Sam McEvoy
