Milan Jovanovic smacked a famous brace as Oguchi Onyewu's Standard Liège enjoyed a 2-1 road triumph to pull level with league leaders Club Brugge on Sunday.

The US defender went the full route wearing the captain's armband as Les Rouches left Jan Breydel victorious for the first time since December of 2001. New Blue-Blacks signing Jared Jeffrey is not yet eligible to suit up in league play.

The opening period gradually built to some good back-and-forth, but big chances were slow to develop.

In the 28th minute, the home side thought they'd drawn first blood when François Sterchele deposited a fumbled cross, but Standard keeper Rory Espinoza was let off the hook by a whistle against the forward.

Ivan Leko buzzed the away net with a shot a minute later, and in the 45th minute, Grégory Dufer saved his keeper's bacon by clearing Sterchele's corner kick effort from the line.

Jovanovic finally broke the ice three minutes out of intermission by pouncing on a Dieumerci Mbokani rebound to end a goal drought that started before Christmas.

The Serbia international would add another with his head in the 65th minute and it would stand up to be the eventual winner.

With a quarter hour to go, Onyewu went close when he nodded a Salim Toama restart just over.

Wesley Sonck snapped a header in off the post for his 100th career league goal to pull one back for Club Brugge with four minutes left, but it was too little and too late to keep the visitors from regaining the inside track to the title.

Standard, who are now level on points with their Sunday hosts but stay second by virtue of having won one less game, return to Sclessin to host sixth place Gent on Saturday.

Scoring
SL - Milan Jovanovic 10 48'
SL - Milan Jovanovic 11 (Mohammed Sarr) 65'
CB - Wesley Sonck 4 (Michael Klukowski) 86'

Line-ups
CB - Stijn Stijnen; Brian Priske, Jeroen Simaeys, Joos Valgaeren, Michael Klukowski, Elrio Van Heerden, Karel Geraerts, Ivan Leko (Dušan Đokić 78'), Jonathan Blondel, Wesley Sonck, François Sterchele

SL - Rorys Aragon Espinoza; Marcos Camozzato, Oguchi Onyewu, Mohammed Sarr, Dante Bonfim Costa, Grégory Dufer, Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Salim Toama (Landry Mulemo 89'), Dieumerci Mbokani, Milan Jovanovic (Igor De Camargo 71')

ON THE SIDELINE
Greg Dalby did not take part as Charleroi drew 0-0 at Bergen.