Urawa Reds could claim the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League Second Stage title on Saturday by avoiding defeat at Jubilo Iwata.
At least a point from Ecopa Stadium would put the J.League YBC Levain Cup winners out of reach of second-place Kawasaki Frontale, who face a daunting trip to Kashima Antlers.
Additionally, a Reds win combined with a Frontale loss would clinch first place overall for Mihailo Petrovic’s men, giving them direct entry to the MEIJI YASUDA J.League Championship finals.
At the bottom of the table, four teams could still find themselves in the third and final relegation spot: Nagoya Grampus (16th place, 30 points, -15 GD), Albirex Niigata (15th place, 30 points, -13 GD), Ventforet Kofu (14th place, 31 points, -24 GD) and Jubilo Iwata (13th place, 33 points, -13 GD).
While both Jubilo and Ventforet can reach safety with a win combined with a Grampus loss, the team who will join Shonan Bellmare and Avispa Fukuoka in next season’s MEIJI YASUDA J2 League will not be determined until the final day of the season on Thursday, November 3.