Japan defender Shogo Taniguchi headed in the injury-time winner to lift two-time defending champion Kawasaki Frontale over Vissel Kobe 1-0 on Thursday and send the visitors to the top of the J. League first-division table.
The win moved Frontale into first place with 29 points, one ahead of Kashima Antlers and four ahead of third-place Yokohama F. Marinos. Danish marksman Kasper Junker's second-half hat-trick erased a three-goal deficit in Urawa Reds' 3-3 home draw with Marinos.
At Kobe's Noevir Stadium, Frontale controlled possession for most of the game, and pinned Vissel back in its own half for the bulk of the first half, but noticeably failed to create quality chances.