Vissel Kobe are the reigning Meiji Yasuda J1 League champions. Sanfrecce Hiroshima finished third in back-to-back seasons and added some massive additions ahead of an exciting campaign in a brand-new stadium.

Now, these two giants are set to meet on Saturday at 14:00 JST in the first massive clash with title implications of the season - and you can watch it live on JLeague.co or your domestic broadcaster.

The defending champs took a surprising tumble in Matchweek 2, but that was sandwiched by a pair of impressive wins in which they looked like a team capable of defending their crown.

Reigning J1 MVP Yuya Osako scored a brilliant free kick winner over the weekend, while Yoshinori Muto has returned from injury, giving Vissel the terrific one-two punch that led them to success a year ago. Meanwhile, Taisei Miyashiro is leading a crop of new signings looking increasingly comfortable in Kobe, while the defense continues to improve.

Takayuki Yoshida has Vissel trending in the right direction, and a win this weekend will have them looking every bit like the title favorites.

Sanfrecce have no intention of letting the trophy head back to Kobe, though. They are undefeated, top of the table, and seeing new singing Yuki Ohashi lead the line in exactly the way manager Michael Skibbe hoped.

The Three Arrows' 4-0 win over Sagan Tosu over the weekend was every bit as dominant as the scoreline suggests, but it was the way they cruised that may have been more impressive with four different players finding the net. While attacking depth at times caused Sanfrecce problems last year, it certainly seems like that problem is well and truly in the past.

Now Sanfrecce head to Kobe, where the reigning champions and their fanatical support will be in full voice. It's an absolutely massive one and you can watch it all live on Saturday afternoon.

Will Sanfrecce make the leap? Or will Vissel send a message that the league still runs through Kobe?

Find out live on JLeague.co in a titanic clash you won’t want to miss.