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Manchester United's disappointing recent struggles continued at Elland Road, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against their old rivals.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-half attempt against the woodwork for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.

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

Nevertheless, against a team who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a through ball from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a finish underneath advancing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

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

Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving 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 impression, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.

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

The draw prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since over two decades ago, and takes them a significant margin 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 short time, wasted.

Manchester United Breakdown: Amorim's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the absence of other attackers is having on the team's squad.

It's not that the missing pair are the answer 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 evidently does not have full faith in youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the through ball for the equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a substitute.

That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance 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 memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of expected atmosphere, but the intimidating edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.

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

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped 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, Leeds' delirious 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 suffered a poor run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's future.

Instead, he is now masterminding significant improvement.

The task is not completed yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their survival.

What Happens Next?

The Yorkshire club have a Premier League 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.