J1 League Match Week 33 Recap: Kashiwa and Hiroshima win, Kyoto draw, and Kobe lose as title race intensifies | News

Things tightened up at the top of the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE table on Saturday, as Kashiwa Reysol moved level on points with Kyoto Sanga F.C. and Vissel Kobe - four behind leaders Kashima Antlers - and Sanfrecce Hiroshima won their top-six clash against FC Machida Zelvia to move within six points of the summit.

Kashiwa leapfrogged Kobe into third after a narrow 1-0 win over Yokohama F･Marinos, Yoshio Koizumi with the only goal of the game in the 41st minute when Hayato Nakama’s header from Daiki Sugioka’s corner struck Koizumi’s chest and flew into the net.

Second-place Kyoto had to make do with one point from their game, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Kawasaki Frontale.

Tatsuya Ito stroked in to give Kawasaki-F the lead in the eighth minute at SANGA STADIUM by KYOCERA, but Hidehiro Sugai ensured the points would be shared seven minutes before half-time, converting after Temma Matsuda nudged the ball into his path in front of goal.

Kobe dropped to fourth - behind Kyoto on goal difference and Kashiwa on goals scored - after a 1-0 defeat away to Urawa Reds.

Isaac Kiese Thelin headed the only goal of that game two minutes after the restart, with Kobe’s Taisei Miyashiro having a penalty saved by Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa in the first half.

Meanwhile, Hiroshima struck two dramatic late goals to come from behind and beat FC Machida 2-1.

Yuki Soma broke the deadlock for FC Machida in the 50th minute, whistling an unstoppable drive into the far side of the net after being played in by Hiroyuki Mae, but Kim Jusung was on hand to equalise for Hiroshima with two minutes of regular time remaining, soaring at the back post to head home an in-swinging corner from Daiki Suga.

Tolgay Arslan then sparked jubilant scenes at EDION PEACE WING HIROSHIMA in the fifth minute of stoppage time, keeping his cool to calmly stroke a penalty into the bottom corner and keep Hiroshima in the hunt for the title.

Elsewhere, two other sides edged themselves away from relegation danger, as Nagoya Grampus moved into 15th courtesy of a 2-1 win over Cerezo Osaka - Yuki Nogami and Yudai Kimura both registering in the first half, before Vitor Bueno pulled one back for C-Osaka with five minutes remaining - and Avispa Fukuoka climbed to 14th after Masato Yuzawa’s 51st-minute strike secured a 1-0 win against Yokohama FC.

The day’s other games between Shimizu S-Pulse and FC TOKYO and Albirex Niigata and Fagiano Okayama both finished 1-1 - Toshiki Takahashi putting Shimizu ahead before Kein Sato restored parity for FC TOKYO, and Eiji Shirai levelling for bottom side Niigata after Kazunari Ichimi had given Okayama a first-half lead.