Match Summary
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header come back off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed finish in the second period.
- Cunha responds just three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side extend their best top-flight undefeated streak since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute shot.
With the goal, the United boss was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolves at home earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath rushing Leeds 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 four key attacking players due to a mix of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect 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 spectacular overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impression, 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 blasted against a post late on.
The draw prolongs 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 Manchester United though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a short time, squandered.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Misfire Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.
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 poor results earlier in the campaign.
But without them, the boss has few attacking options.
He evidently does not trust teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in recent outings, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming signings, lacking in belief and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous fixtures.
Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested 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.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not completed yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a Premier League trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.
