UEFA: Iheanacho eyes final berth with Man City

There is no doubt that the 4-2 loss to Southampton may have deflated the confidence of Manchester City, but Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho believes if given chance he could inspire the team to the final of the UEFA Champions League.

Iheanacho’s brace could not save Man City from losing at St Mary’s on Sunday, but the former Golden Eaglets star is optimistic that they have the wherewithal to turn the table against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Monday.

“This game is not good preparation for us,” he said. “But we will keep it behind us, focus and train, and go to the Bernabeu and hope we qualify. Unfortunately for me, we lost so the goals didn’t mean anything but I will keep working hard to get some more. If I play, I need to work hard for the team and help them qualify for the final if we get the goals,” he told The Manchester Evening News.

He added: “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.”

Coach Manuel Pellegrini will ring changes after resting his top players for the trip to the south coast, but 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.”