Manchester United need a lot more from Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku if they are to stage another Champions League comeback against Barcelona, says Dion Dublin.
The Red Devils were able to keep themselves in a heavyweight quarter-final clash when suffering a narrow 1-0 first leg defeat at Old Trafford.
A Luke Shaw own goal means they are once again playing catch-up, having previously had to overturn a two-goal deficit away from home against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.
Dublin believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can mastermind another stunning success in Europe, but only if he can find a way of getting Pogba and Lukaku more involved.
The former Red Devils striker told BBC Sport of the need for United to find an attacking spark, both in midfield and up front: “United did not manage a shot on target on Wednesday, and they did not really use the ball well enough when they got possession.
“Pogba was the player expected to play the biggest part in unlocking the Barcelona defence, but we did not see enough of the creative side of his game.
“He will have to do much better next week, but he can only do that if his team-mates are making the forward runs that allow him to play those sort of passes.
“Lukaku should be doing exactly that. He did not manage a single shot in the first leg but I actually thought he played well.
“He held the ball up and was very reliable in possession, but all of his work was a long, long way from goal.
“If United are to have any joy at the Nou Camp, they need to get him in the box and give their wide players more to aim at, because firing the ball into the Barcelona area was clearly part of Solskjaer's plan.”
United are due in Catalunya next Tuesday for a crucial return date with Barcelona that will once again see their European ambitions put on the line.
Prior to that, they must navigate a domestic encounter against West Ham in the Premier League, with Solskjaer’s top four-chasing outfit set to welcome the Hammers to Old Trafford on Saturday.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
