Yuya Osako of Vissel Kobe reacts after scoring the winner in the second half of a J-League football match against Tokushima Vortis at Noevir Stadium in Kobe, on Nov. 6, 2021. (Kyodo)
KOBE (Kyodo) -- Japan forward Yuya Osako scored the winner as Vissel Kobe edged past Tokushima Vortis 1-0 at home on Saturday in the J-League top flight, boosting their chance of a top-three finish after going five games unbeaten.
It was the second league goal for Osako since joining from Werder Bremen over the summer, a volley low into the net in the 57th minute after a cross from right-back Gotoku Sakai glanced off the head of Yoshinori Muto at Noevir Stadium.
The win moved Kobe up to 67 points with three games to go as they chase the final spot for automatic qualification for next season's Asian Champions League.
"The team really needed the three points and I'm really glad to have got the result," Osako said. "Gotoku delivered the ball and we could smell a goal coming...It was a good goal."
Vissel's closest rivals, fourth-place Nagoya Grampus, have 61 points ahead of their game on Sunday.
The defeat kept Tokushima Vortis 17th and inside the relegation zone. The bottom four sides from the division's 20 clubs will be relegated automatically this year.
Elsewhere, Celtic-linked Daizen Maeda scored a hat-trick and stretched his lead at the top of the scoring chart with 21 goals as second-place Yokohama F Marinos hammered FC Tokyo 8-0 at home.
The forward showed his ferocious pace for the opener before scoring a penalty and headed home his side's fifth three minutes after the break with their opponents down to 10 men.
Shimizu S-Pulse salvaged a vital point in their first game under new manager Hiroaki Hiraoka as substitute Yuta Taki buried an 82nd-minute leveler to secure a 2-2 home draw with Consadole Sapporo.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Lotina got the sack on Thursday. The draw put them on 33 points, three ahead of Vortis.
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