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The Red Devils' disappointing recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.

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

At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that Leeds to sympathise with that given their own lack of preparation time.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is struggling to make an impact, 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 fired against a post late on.

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

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

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other attackers is having on Amorim's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of the club'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 clearly does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.

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 evidence, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance 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 Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in other fixtures.

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

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

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

Ever so briefly, The home 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 the club to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.

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

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.