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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 avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half effort against the post for the confident home team before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 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, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath advancing home 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 injury and international duty.

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from close range.

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 matches, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the relegation zone.

For the Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

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

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers 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 campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Survival

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

True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.

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

The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were struggling 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 endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting nearer to securing their top-flight status.

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 Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.