Urawa Reds increased their chances of being declared MEIJI YASUDA J1 League first stage winners when they fought back for a thrilling 3-3 draw at Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday.

The league leaders travelled to Kashiwa Stadium in an attempt to seal up first stage bragging rights soon, and Tsukasa Umesaki immediately showcased the Reds’ intentions with his first-minute opener minute.

From there though, Reysol took control, Masato Kudo exploiting a defensive error to equalise just five minutes later, before Leandro opportunistically put them into the lead before half time.

Determined not to let the tie slip away, defender Tomoaki Makino nodded in for Mihailo Petrovic’s men from a corner, but was later powerless to prevent Leando from making it 3-2 from a cross.

Nevertheless, the Reds’ determination saw them bag a stoppage-time equaliser through Yuki Muto, keeping his club’s 14-game unbeaten start to the league season intact.

Their draw, combined with Gamba Osaka’s 2-0 win over Kashima Antlers, means last year’s runners’ up can wrap up the first stage title with a win over Shimizu S-Pulse this Sunday, if Gamba lose to Vissel Kobe.

Gamba had looked comfortable against their visitors and Yasuyuki Konno gave them the lead before half time, before captain Yasuhito Endo doubled it in the 52nd minute.

The result means the Japanese champions, who have a game in hand, still stand an outside chance of making the first-stage winners tag their own.