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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.

Not that you would expect the hosts to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.

The draw prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Misfire Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer to all of the club's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief and assurance in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.

True, there were moments of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

The striker's header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.

However, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and the club to deal with.

When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.