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The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.

With the goal, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

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

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international 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 United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the campaign.

But without them, the boss has few attacking options.

He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his arrival as a replacement.

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

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

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

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

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

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

The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability 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 tight first half.

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

For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

However, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

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