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The Red Devils' poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side avoiding even more damage against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

At that stage, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

However, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward levelled three minutes later when he ran on to a through ball from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath rushing 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 Amorim is without several 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 tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impression, 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 fired against a post in the dying moments.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into fourth spot, albeit only for a matter of hours, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.

Current injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and England international Mason Mount only heightened the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's options.

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 poor results earlier in the season.

But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.

He clearly does not trust teenager 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 substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

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

Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds Analysis: A Further Step Towards Safety

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

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

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that struck the post was an rare moment of quality in a tight first half.

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

For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against their old foes.

Nevertheless, there is a much bigger picture for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The job is not done yet but step by step, Leeds are getting closer to securing their survival.

What Happens Next?

Leeds have a top-flight trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their FA Cup campaign next weekend. Manchester United face a league trip to Burnley before also beginning their cup journey with a home tie.