Vissel Kobe captured the Meiji Yasuda J1 League title last season, but defending that crown is a whole other challenge. Every team in the top flight is taking aim at the reigning champs, including FC Tokyo.

The capital club made some big moves in the winter, strengthening an already-talented team and giving them a challenge at the top of the table.

Now, Vissel head to Ajinomoto Stadium where they will take on FC Tokyo on Saturday at 16:00 JST in a tantalizing clash that will be streamed live on JLeague.co.

FCT have picked up draws in each of their first two games, playing well in stalemates at Cerezo Osaka and at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima. It was a difficult start to their slate, and Vissel will be much the same, but so far they appear up to the task of facing the J1 elite.

The major storyline of the first two weeks has been the stellar addition of Ryotaro Araki. Once one of Japan’s top young talents with a 10-goal season under his belt as a teenager, injuries stymied Araki in each of the last two campaigns. Now at full health and seemingly rejuvenated by his loan from Kashima Antlers, Araki is flying high once again with three goals from his first two matches as a member of FC Tokyo.

With Araki and Kuryu Matsuki in the team, FC Tokyo may have the best duo of young Japanese stars in the J.League. That makes them not only a very dangerous team, but also one worth keeping an eye on as the future of the Samurai Blue may be on display at Ajinomoto Stadium.

But this weekend they come up against a Vissel team of established stars, with reigning J1 MVP Yuya Osako leading the way. Yoshinori Muto, who missed the opening of the season through injury, returned to the Vissel bench last weekend and the prospect of having him and Osako starting up front again could be all it takes to put the defending champions back in the J1 driver’s seat.

Kobe arguably got stronger in the offseason - bringing in the likes of Yosuke Ideguchi and Taisei Miyashiro in the winter - but a loss to Kashiwa Reysol last week has shown this team can still be vulnerable against a hard-nosed defense and a clinical counter. Manager Takayuki Yoshida will know the importance of this trip to Tokyo and the need to ensure his side doesn't slide into consecutive losses.

Will Vissel be able to right the ship in the capital? Or can Peter Cklamovski's young stars go toe-to-toe with the title holders?

Tune in to JLeague.co on Saturday and find out.