The top of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League is getting very tight, with three teams separated by a mere two points. How did we get here?

Let’s check in on all the Matchweek 19 action, which gave us this close fight at the upper reaches of the table:

FC Machida Zelvia 0, Avispa Fukuoka 0

Kosei Tani and Masaaki Murakami kept clean sheets as top-of-the-table Zelvia and Avispa scrapped to a tense draw.

Urawa Reds 2, Kashima Antlers 2

Kashima had a chance to move level on points with Zelvia, and Yuma Suzuki did his part with a pair of goals, but Reds substitute Hidetoshi Takeda scored in the 77th minute and again in stoppage time to earn a point for Urawa.

Gamba Osaka 2, Vissel Kobe 1

Welton’s belter put Gamba in front, but an own goal proved the difference in this one. Osaka's Black and Blue won their fifth in a row, beating the defending champions to move level with Antlers, two points off the top.

Kashiwa Reysol 0, Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1

Douglas Vieira was on the mark against Reysol for Sanfrecce, who won for the third time in their last four matches to move within seven points of first place.

Shonan Bellmare 0, FC Tokyo 1

Shuhei Tokumoto’s 20-yard blast was all FC Tokyo needed to take three points from Bellmare and move up to sixth place.

Júbilo Iwata 1, Cerezo Osaka 1

Léo Ceará found the back of the net yet again to pad his lead atop the J1 goal scoring chart, but Ko Matsubara’s spectacular goal earned Júbilo a result for the fourth time in their last five games as they continue to stay above the drop zone.

Tokyo Verdy 1, Nagoya Grampus 0

Hijiri Onaga’s beautiful chip was all Verdy needed to take down Nagoya and move further up the table.

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 0, Yokohama F·Marinos 1

Anderson Lopes buried a penalty kick for the game’s lone goal as the Tricolor won crucial away points in Sapporo.

Albirex Niigata 2, Kawasaki Frontale 2

It appeared as if Koji Suzuki won it for Albirex when he scored seven minutes into stoppage time, but Shin Yamada scored four minutes later to cap a phenomenal finish in Niigata.

Sagan Tosu 3, Kyoto Sanga 0

Marcelo Ryan was on the mark twice and Yoichi Naganuma added one of his own as the home side picked up a massive three points against Kyoto in Tosu to move out of the relegation zone.