Fahid Ben Khalfallah has claimed not one team has threatened a rampant Melbourne Victory during their current six-game winning streak in the Hyundai A-League.
Victory are looking to notch their seventh consecutive win tonight when they visit Wellington Phoenix – the Big V’s second of four games in 14 days.
Hyundai A-League preview: Phoenix v Victory
There is a swagger in Victory’s step as they are also in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten run.
Victory’s latest success was a 3-2 triumph over Brisbane Roar on Friday with Kevin Muscat’s side becoming the A-League’s best attacking team in the process as they reached 35 goals for the season – one ahead of league leaders Sydney FC, who have played one more match.
Ben Khalfallah says it’s fun playing for Victory at the moment.
“Yeah, because we score goals and obviously with me as a winger or midfielder, I want to play in a team like that because we’ve been scoring goals and we’ve been playing really good football,” he told Goal Australia.
“The last six or seven weeks, I don’t think one team stayed with us or we were in trouble.Â
“When we’re playing like that we know it’s going to be hard for the other team.”
Victory’s clash with the Phoenix will see both sides finally play their game in hand, with the Round 7 fixture having been postponed due to an earthquake in New Zealand in November.
It’s a significant moment in the season for Muscat’s men, who will follow their trip to Wellington with an away game against Perth Glory on Saturday before a top-of-the-table clash against Sydney in Melbourne on Australia Day.
The rapid-fire nature of the next fortnight suits Ben Khalfallah down to the ground.
“To be honest, as a player, we want to play. If I can play every three days, I’ll do it. That’s one thing we want.Â
“We don’t want to train, we want to play games,” he said before Victory travelled to New Zealand.
“Obviously, that’s a long a trip but we’re soccer players. I’m very happy to go to New Zealand to play and if we have to go to Perth just after, yeah, we have to do it.
“We have to deal with that, so it’s not a problem, and we have a big squad, good quality players, so even if Kevin [Muscat] wants to make some changes he’ll do it and the team will be fine.”
After a stuttering start to the campaign that saw Victory win just two of their opening five A-League fixtures, the Big V appear to be approaching their best.
Ben Khalfallah rated their opening 27 minutes against Roar – where Victory raced to a 3-0 lead – as the best football his team has played in 2016-17.
“Yeah, I think so. To be honest, it was just amazing the way we played,” the 34-year-old said.
“We scored three goals – the goals we scored, I think we had everything, so I don’t know what happened after. Unfortunately, they scored twice… I don’t know if we relaxed, I have no idea, so I think it’s a good lesson.
“We should be more careful and we have to keep playing.”
