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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.

However, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and national team commitments.

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the drop 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 Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

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

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

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any length of time.

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

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

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing 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. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.