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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.

The Everton loanee directed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form hosts before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a finish underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the South American's fourth goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

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

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The point extends Leeds' 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 chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a short time, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Misfire Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

Existing injuries to skipper 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 absent players 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, Amorim has limited attacking options.

He evidently does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others operating out of their preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous underwhelming signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's 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 previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in other fixtures.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of threat in a congested first half.

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

Ever so briefly, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.

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

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting nearer to securing their survival.

Looking Ahead

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League 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 FA Cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.