Kashiwa Reysol kept their noses in front in the J. League title race with a 4-0 win over Albirex Niigata on Thursday as all three championship contenders claimed victories going into the final three games of the season.
Reysol began the match at Hitachi Stadium two points clear of Gamba Osaka and three ahead of Nagoya Grampus, and a first-half double from Leandro Domingues got the Chiba side off to the perfect start as it bids to win its first-ever J. League title just a year after gaining promotion from the second division.
Goals from Jorge Wagner and Junya Tanaka after the break secured the points from yet another impressive performance by Kashiwa, but a 1-0 win for Gamba over Kashima Antlers and a 3-1 victory for Grampus over Cerezo Osaka meant the day ended with the identity of this season's champion little clearer than it was when it began.