Yokohama F. Marinos may hold the advantage in the J. League title race with five games remaining, but all three of the front-running teams will be confident of lifting the trophy come the end of the season.
Marinos beat previous leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 on Saturday to move into a two-point lead at the top of the table, with Urawa Reds climbing into second a point ahead of Sanfrecce after a 2-1 win over Kashima Antlers.
Cerezo Osaka and Antlers both retain an outside interest in the title six points behind Marinos in fourth and fifth place, respectively, but after Manabu Saito's 55th-minute goal sank Sanfrecce in Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown, the momentum is back with Marinos after two successive scoreless draws.
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