J1 League Matchweek 26 Recap: Race for title heats up with five teams within five points

J1 League Matchweek 26 Recap: Race for title heats up with five teams within five points

The fight for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League title is going to be scintillating, with five teams all within five points of each other at the top of the table.

Let’s see how we got here in Matchweek 26:

FC Machida Zelvia 0, Shonan Bellmare 1

Masaki Ikeda found the back of the net shortly after stoppage time as Bellmare extended their unbeaten streak to five, while first place Zelvia have now gone three in a row without a win.

Júbilo Iwata 2, Kashima Antlers 1

A win would have moved Kashima level with Zelvia atop the table and they had a chance to do just that after striking first, but Hiroki Yamada and Yosuke Furukawa scored in the last 13 minutes to earn Júbilo a comeback win that kept them out of the relegation zone.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2, Cerezo Osaka 0

Tolgay Arslan was the star of the show as he scored twice to lead the Viola into third place, four points off the top.

Kashiwa Reysol 0, Gamba Osaka 0

Reysol had the upper hand for large chunks of the game, but they were unable to get on the scoreboard and had to split the points with Gamba in Kashiwa.

Yokohama F·Marinos 1, Vissel Kobe 2

The Tricolor scored first, but Yoshinori Muto led Vissel back with a pair of goals to move the defending champions within five points of first place.

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 2, Avispa Fukuoka 2

It looked like Masashi Kamekawa had won it for Fukuoka when he scored six minutes into stoppage time, but Katsuyuki Tanaka stole Sapporo a point with a dramatic tally three minutes later in a thrilling draw.

FC Tokyo 0, Kawasaki Frontale 3

Shin Yamada scored two goals for a third game in a row as Frontale cruised to victory behind their red-hot star.

Sagan Tosu 1, Urawa Reds 1

Yusuke Matsuo gave Urawa a lead, but the Reds were reduced to 10 men shortly after and Marcelo Ryan netted an equalizer as Sagan took a crucial point in their relegation fight.

Nagoya Grampus 1, Tokyo Verdy 0

Patric’s seventh-minute tally is all Nagoya needed to win in front of their home crowd.

Albirex Niigata 2, Kyoto Sanga 0

It was all Albi as Yuji Ono scored the opener and Kaito Taniguchi put the match away in the second half to delight the fans in Niigata.

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