Vissel Kobe are chasing a second consecutive Meiji Yasuda J1 League title and face a big challenge on Friday at 19:00 JST when Cerezo Osaka come to town in a match that will be live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.

A year ago, Vissel were endeavoring to hold off all challengers in pursuit of their first-ever J1 championship. Now they are the team chasing down the leaders as they aim for a repeat.

Vissel’s title-winning effort was led last season by Yoshinori Muto and MVP Yuya Osako - and they've added to that attacking core in 2024 with winter signing Taisei Miyashiro. That trio has delivered, with Osako leading the team with 10 goals after a brace in his last match, while Miyashiro has nine tallies, and Muto has continued to be the consummate threat on the ball with nine goals and seven assists.

With Osako, Muto and Miyashiro leading the way, Vissel have the third-best attack in J1, while also having allowed the third-fewest goals. This puts them, perhaps unsurprisingly, in third place, just three points off the top.

Meanwhile, Cerezo Osaka are on a seven-match winless streak, which has seen them drop all the way down to eighth in the table. To turn their season around, they are going to need more than just the attacking punch of Brazilian striker Léo Ceará — whose 17 goals put him joint-top of the division's scoring chart — but an entire team effort, from front to back.

Can the Sakura shine this weekend? Or will Vissel’s push for another title continue with three vital points at home?

Find out live on JLeague.co!