Former Germany international Cacau struck a superb winner to lift Cerezo Osaka out of the relegation zone thank to a surprise 1-0 victory at home to J-League leaders Urawa Reds on Saturday.

Cacau took a pass from Kenyu Sugimoto and rifled in off the inside of the post from 25 meters in the 68th minute at Yanmar Stadium, and Cerezo held on to snap Red's four-game winning streak and move into 14th spot in the 18-team table.

Reds started the day six points clear, but they had their lead trimmed to four as Kashima Antlers thrashed bottom club Tokushima Vortis 5-0 thanks to a brace each from Caio and Yasushi Endo.

With eight rounds left to play, Reds have 53 points, Antlers have 49 and Kawasaki Frontale have 48 after they were held 1-1 at home to Vegalta Sendai, Yasuhito Morishima rescuing a point for Frontale in the 90th minute.

Patric scored a hat trick in 18 second-half minutes as Gamba Osaka smashed Sagan Tosu 4-1 at home to improve to 46 points.

In other games, Japan striker Yoshinori Muto scored twice in FC Tokyo's 4-0 hammering of visiting Kashiwa Reysol, a late equalizer from Tsukasa Shiotani gave champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima a 1-1 draw at home to Vissel Kobe, and Hiroshi Ibusuki earned Albirex Niigata a 1-0 at Nagoya Grampus.

Akihiro Ienaga's winner gave Omiya Ardija all three points in a 2-1 victory over S-Pulse at NACK5, while Yokohama F. Marinos were held to a 0-0 draw by Ventforet Kofu at Mitsuzawa Stadium.

At the bottom of table, last-place Tokushima has just 12 points and looks destined for a swift return to J2 after coming up via the playoffs last season, but only three points separate 13th-placed Kofu (28) and second-from bottom Shimizu (25).