Vissel Kobe had a season for the ages in 2023, winning the first Meiji Yasuda J1 League title in club history. Now they’re back to defend their crown and it all begins on Saturday at 13:00 JST when they visit newly-promoted Júbilo Iwata in a match that will be streamed live on JLeague.co.

Vissel were led by joint Top Scorer and J1 MVP Yuya Osako last year and he’s back again with a new contract in hand. With his future in Kobe secured, he’ll surely be looking to keep his club at the very top of the league. Vissel also made some big additions this winter, led by Yosuke Ideguchi, which have them dreaming of another title.

Júbilo are likewise coming off a 2023 to remember. They had one of the Meiji Yasuda J2 League's best attacks, flying to promotion and earning a place back in the top flight. Now, they're aiming to keep their spot in J1, having added depth and heft with Brazilian trio Matheus Peixoto, Bruno José, and Léo Gomes coming into the team.

Will Vissel Kobe get their title defense off to a flying start? Or will Júbilo pull off an upset at home? It’s a battle of the kings and the new boys in the season’s opening weekend and you’re not going to want to miss all the action on JLeague.co!