The 2017 J.League YBC Levain Cup Playoff Stage opened on Wednesday night, with four second- and third-place finishers in the Group Stage hoping to join the group winners as well as Japan’s four AFC Champions Leagues representatives in the knockout tournament.

Goals by Ricardo Santos and Takaki Fukumitsu gave MEIJI YASUDA J1 League high-flyers Cerezo Osaka a 2-0 win over Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo at the Sapporo Dome in front of 5,192 fans.

On the other side of the country, Takuma Abe’s goal just before half-time was enough to give FC Tokyo a 1-0 victory at Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

The second leg of the Playoff Stage will take place on July 26.