No club has won more J.League titles than Kashima Antlers, while Vissel Kobe are the reigning champions. Now, both find themselves in the thick of the fight for this season’s ultimate prize.

That makes Sunday's meeting in Kobe at 19:00 JST a titanic clash that will be shown live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.

Kashima are chasing their first J1 title since 2016 and sit in second place, a mere two points off the top, with an 11-match unbeaten streak.

Vissel check in two spots below Antlers as they aim to defend the crown they won a year ago. They got off to a bit of a slow start, but have played their way into the title fight and are now trying to make up the six-point gap between them and FC Machida Zelvia in first place.

Vissel’s rise has come on the back of their defense, which is second-best in the league based on goals conceded; goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa has sparkled between the sticks this season and Matheus Thuler remains one of the finest center backs in J1.

Kashima are sure to make things difficult on Maekawa, Thuler, and the rest of the Vissel backline, though. The Antlers have the second-best attack in J1 based on goals scored, led by the energetic Yuma Suzuki. The dynamic forward has seven goals and two assists since the start of May, taking him up to fourth in the J1 goal scoring chart and putting Antlers among the league’s top teams.

The difference between Kashima being one of J1’s top teams and being the top team may lie in their ability to turn draws into wins. While their 11-match unbeaten streak is undeniably outstanding, they have just three points from their last three matches.

First place FC Machida Zelvia have stumbled as of late, but Antlers have been unable to take advantage with victories. If they can start turning some of those one-point outings into three then they very well may win a record ninth J1 title.

Of course, while Kashima have history on their side, Vissel only have to look back one year to see themselves on top. They are still the champions and have every intention of making it two in a row. A victory on Sunday would be quite the statement that they are on the prowl and the crowd at Noevir Stadium Kobe will be in full voice in hopes of pushing them back up the table to the summit they so enjoyed last season.

Will Vissel delight their fans and step closer to back-to-back trophies? Or will Kashima silence Kobe with a victory that shakes the title race?

Find out live in this Match of the Week shown live around the world!