Standard Liège erased an early deficit to score a 3-1 victory over visiting Germinal Beerschot on Sunday to maintain their five-point cushion atop the Jupiler League standings.

Oguchi Onyewu went the distance in defense for the hosts, who are threatening to pull away from the pack in Belgium.

Marouane Fellaini nearly put Standard up in the seventh minute, but his header from Salim Toama's restart caught the woodwork.

The home side continued to run the play until GBA took a surprise lead in the 20th minute.

Gyam King picked out Tosin Dosunmu in the middle of an area crowd, and the forward dutifully turned home the opener.

Standard needed only eight minutes to level, with Fellaini rising high at the far post to nod in a pinpoint Salim Toama free kick serve.

Seven minutes on, Igor De Camargo did likewise to bucket a Dante Bonfim Costa touchline cross from the left.

Just before the break, Standard youngster Axel Witsel gave his team a little breathing room after a deep throw in on the left.

Fellaini chested down to the winger, who wasted no time in firing a shot that GBA keeper Kenny Steppe could only nudge into the net off his own post.

The second half was much calmer, with neither side able to beat a keeper until Beerschot defender Ederson Tormena was forced to clear Steven Defour's attempt from the line two minutes before time.

Scoring
GBA - Tosin Dosunmu 2 (Gyam King) 20'
SL - Marouane Fellaini 4 (Salim Toama) 28'
SL - Igor De Camargo 3 (Dante Bonfim Costa) 35'
SL - Axel Witsel 3 (Marouane Fellaini) 43'

Line-ups
SL - Rorys Aragon Espinoza; Marcos Camozzato, Oguchi Onyewu, Mohamed Sarr (Fred 64'), Dante Bonfim Costa, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Defour, Salim Toama (Sirimana Dembele 79'), Axel Witsel (Grégory Dufer 71'), Igor De Camargo, Dieumerci Mbokani

GBA - Kenny Steppe; Didier Dheedene (Aristide Bancé 88'), Nzelo Lembi, Martijn Monteyne, Pieterjan Monteyne, Ederson Tormena, Gyam King, Hernan Losada, Justice Wamfor (Sanharib Malki 75'), Jurgen Cavens (Toufik Zerara 46'), Tosin Dosunmu