Match Summary
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the post.
- Brenden Aaronson puts the home side ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes later.
- The Yorkshire side continue their longest Premier League unbeaten run since 2001.
The Red Devils' poor recent struggles persisted at Elland Road, but manager the Portuguese tactician had Matheus Cunha to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.
The Everton loanee directed a first-half effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against a team who had less time to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a through ball from introduced the Dutchman and guided a shot underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the South American's fourth Premier League goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without several key attacking players due to a combination of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker 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 fired against a post late on.
The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, and takes them a significant margin clear of the drop zone.
For the visitors though, it was yet another opportunity to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a pretty quick exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's squad.
It's not that the absent players 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 campaign.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for the equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a substitute.
That leaves Cunha, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this showing, the big-money frontman looks similar to previous struggling 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 Analysis: A Further Step Towards Survival
After thrilling victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were instances of typical atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's struggle to get worthwhile possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that struck the post was an isolated moment of threat in a tight first half.
It still felt as though Leeds were struggling when a mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.
Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant progress.
The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their top-flight status.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.
