Vissel Kobe are on the brink of clinching a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League after beating Tokushima Vortis, 1-0, over the weekend.

Vissel were better than Vortis from the start and nearly scored on an early Andrés Iniesta free kick, but it went just wide. It took until the second half before the Ushi broke through, but they finally did through Yuya Osako.

The forward got on the end of a fabulous cross from Gotoku Sakai and buried it into the back of the net to deliver the home side all three points as the defense held strong through the final whistle.

The Ushi's win puts them on 67 points, five ahead of their nearest challengers in Kashima Antlers and Nagoya Grampus. With just three matches to play, Kobe can clinch their spot in Asia's premier club competition as early as the next matchweek.

Before this season, Vissel had never finished better than seventh in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE. They are already assured of a record finish, but they have their eyes on more and may just reach their goal the next time they step out onto the pitch.