KELECHI Iheanacho says it will be a dream to play for
Manchester City in the Bernabeu and hopes to take his hot Premier League
scoring form into the Champions League showdown.
The 19-year-old striker staked his claim for a starting
place against Real Madrid on Wednesday night with two goals in City's 4-2 loss
at Southampton on Sunday.
And with David Silva on the sidelines, Manuel Pellegrini
will need Iheanacho - who now has 13 goals this season - to be firing with the
tie delicately poised at 0-0 after the first leg.
Iheanacho said: 'It is a dream come true for me and I am
happy if I go there. I hope we do well there and there is a great atmosphere. I
haven't been before, but I am happy to go there to get a win.
'If I play, I need to work hard for the team and help
them qualify for the final if we get the goals.
'I am in with a shot of being involved in Madrid, so I
will keep working hard. Nothing is enough in football. I will keep working hard
to convince the team that I need to be here.
'It doesn't matter where you find yourself, you have to
focus and concentrate and work for the team. When the ball falls to you, you
have to put it in.
'It's going to be a big challenge for us but we will keep
our heads down and keep working hard to get there.'
With Real's talisman Cristiano Ronaldo recovering from a
thigh injury in time for the second leg, City will need to take their chances
in Madrid.
But a side showing eight changes from the first leg were
well beaten at Southampton on a disappointing afternoon though at least
Iheanacho was on the scoresheet.
'This game is not good preparation for us,' admitted the
Nigeria international. 'But we will keep it behind us, focus and train, and go
to the Bernabeu and hope we qualify.
'Unfortunately for me, we lost today so the goals didn't
mean anything but I will keep working hard to get some more.'
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