Kawasaki Frontale have two points to make up in the final two weeks of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League season if they are going to claim an unprecedented fifth title in six years, and those championship ambitions will be on the line when they meet a surging Vissel Kobe team on Saturday.

Simply put, Frontale need to beat the Ushi to ensure their title dreams will last another week. If they drop points and Yokohama F·Marinos win, the title will be the Tricolor’s, which means all focus is on taking down a Vissel team that has been the best in the league for more than a month.

The Kobe side have won five in a row and they last suffered a loss way back on September 3, a streak that took them from near the bottom and one of the teams most in danger of relegation to 11th place.

Now assured of another season in the top flight, Vissel have been powered by a defense that has been nearly impenetrable. They’ve kept four clean sheets and allowed two goals total in their last six matches, an outstanding record and a surprising one after their back line struggled so much early in the season.

Frontale will be tasked with finding a way through that newly resolute Vissel rearguard. Goals have not been their problem this season, with their 60 scored ranking second in the league. Their bigger issue has been defending, especially away from home, but with this match at the Kawasaki Todoraki Stadium, there will be no difficult environs to contend with.

Will the Frontale faithful be able to push their side to victory and keep their dreams of yet another title alive? Or will Vissel claim a sixth straight victim, this time one with the ultimate ambition?

We’ll find out as the Meiji Yasuda J1 League reaches its pinnacle with a captivating championship race.