Standard Liège scored a 2-1 win at Germinal Beerschot on Friday night to build their Jupiler League tabletop cushion to seven points.

Captain Oguchi Onyewu took his usual place in the heart of defense for Les Rouches.

After fighting off some early GBA pressure, Standard moved ahead through Milan Jovanovic on the quarter hour. Marouane Fellaini played Axel Witsel down the left and the winger crossed for the Serbia attacker to tap home his league joint best 12th of the season from the slot.

The teams traded counterpunches until the visitors resumed control past the half hour when GBA keeper Kenny Steppe was forced to deny Fellaini and Jovanovic on consecutive rushes.

Standard were able to double their lead five minutes before the break as Fellaini crept forward to kiss home a deep Dante Costa cross from the right.

Germinal Beerschot ensured a nervy finish when Hernán Losada applied a fortuitous looping header to a restart and it found its way into the top far corner past the outstretched Rory Espinoza.

The home side continued to attack, with Losada and Cruz each going close with danger free kicks in the five minutes after the goal.

Espinoza then had to make a late double save on Pieterjan Monteyne and sub Vinnie Verhoeven to ensure the three points.

Standard now turn their attention to the Belgian Cup, with semifinal foe Gent set to visit for the opening leg on Wednesday.

Scoring
SL - Milan Jovanovic 12 (Axel Witsel) 15'
SL - Marouane Fellaini 6 (Dante Costa) 41'
GBA - Hernán Losada 9 (Daniel Cruz) 63'

Line-ups
GBA - Kenny Steppe; Martijn Monteyne, Kurt Van Dooren, Didier Dheedene (Ederson Tormena 46'), Pieterjan Monteyne, Kris De Wree, King Gyan, Hernán Losada, Daniel Cruz, Tosin Dosunmu (Vincenzo Verhoeven 87'), Sanharib Malki (Emmanuel Okoduwa 81')

SL - Rorya Aragon Espinoza; Dante Costa, Oguchi Onyewu, Mohammed Sarr, Marcos Camozatto, Réginal Goreux, Landry Mulemo (Sirimana Dembele 88'), Marouane Fellaini, Dieumerci Mbokani, Axel Witsel, Milan Jovanovic (Igor De Camargo 78')