Melbourne Victory have six games to prove their title credentials, says Fahid Ben Khalfallah

FAHID Ben Khalfallah says Melbourne Victory are in the midst of a season-defining run of matches against other A-League heavyweights.

MATT WINDLEY

2 min read

January 23, 2016 - 6:03PM

Six weeks to define Victory’s season

FAHID Ben Khalfallah says Melbourne Victory are in the midst of a season-defining run of matches against other A-League heavyweights.

Victory heads in to the Australia Day blockbuster with Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium full of confidence after getting their season back on track with a 4-0 hiding of Brisbane Roar last week.

Only four points separate the Roar and fifth-placed Victory.

And given Kevin Muscat’s men play Sydney (3rd) twice, Western Sydney (2nd), Melbourne City (4th) and Adelaide (6th) in the next six games, their championship credentials can be legitimised over the next month.

Next week’s trip to Perth is the only time Victory have to get on a plane before March and is the only game against a team currently outside of the top six in that time.

The Asian Champions League starts on February 24.

That means it is also imperative Victory pick up as many points as possible before the added strain of midweek matches and long haul trips are heaped upon them.

Ben Khalfallah said Victory has the opportunity to position themselves nicely for a tilt at back-to-back titles should they carry on with the destructive form displayed against Brisbane.

“We know in the next four or five weeks we can get to the top of the ladder maybe, we know we can move,” he said.

“We are close, there are a lot of teams within four or five points. It’s always good when we can play the biggest teams.

“Brisbane last week were on the top, Sydney I think are third I think, Western Sydney and City are there too. It’s a good opportunity. We have to keep winning.

“We know that for five weeks maybe we didn’t play very good and we had bad results, but we still believe we can be the best team and be on the top, so we just want to win again. Last week we played very good, with a great atmosphere, now we just have to keep going.”

Tuesday’s game is the first between Victory and Sydney in Melbourne since last year’s grand final at AAMI Park. Victory won 4-2 at Allianz Stadium in the first grand final rematch of the season in Round 6.

“Of course a lot of people think about the grand final, everyone remembers that,” he said.

“But now we don’t have to think about the past, we just have to think about the future.

“It’s Australia Day, it’s one of our biggest games of the year. I hope Etihad Stadium will be packed and it will be a great atmosphere and hopefully we can do exactly what we want to do.”

MOVE IT OR LOSE IT

Six weeks that could make or break Melbourne Victory’s finals tilt

Tuesday v Sydney FC, Etihad Stadium

Saturday v Perth, nib Stadium

Feb 6 v Western Sydney, Etihad Stadium