At a Glance
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a low strike in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha responds only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best Premier League unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-half attempt against the post for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had two days less to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that Leeds 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 audacious overhead kick, and visiting 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 disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post in the dying moments.
The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim 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 unavailability of other forwards is having on the team'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 experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in belief 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 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 instances of typical atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.
Ever so briefly, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's position.
Instead, he is now masterminding significant progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer 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. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
