Belgian First Division wrap: Liege close gap on Gent

Standard Liege defeated Club Brugge 1-0 in their Belgian First Division championship group playoff match at Jules Ottenstadion on Saturday.

The win moved Liege to within three points of Genk in the race for the Belgian title, and came courtesy of a 31st-minute goal from Axel Witsel.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Gent played out a 2-2 draw with Lokeren in a matchup between the two bottom sides in the six-team championship play-off group.

Shlomi Arbeitman opened the scoring for Gent in first-half injury time, but Benjamin De Ceulaer levelled proceedings six minutes after the break.

It looked as though Gent had done enough to secure their first win since the playoffs began when Arbeitman scored his second on the 76-minute mark, but Alfred Finnbogason snatched a point for Lokeren three minutes into stoppage time.

In Europa League play-off Group A, a brace from Julien Gorius helped KV Mechelen to a 4-3 win over Lierse, while a goal from Oleg Iachtchouk five minutes before the break was enough to hand Cercle Brugge a 1-0 win over St Truiden.

In Group B, KVC Westerlo moved top with a 7-1 thrashing of Zulte-Waregem, with Filho Paulo Henrique scoring two goals, while Germinal Beerschot and KV Kortrijk played out a 0-0 draw at the Olympisch Stadion.