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Manchester United's poor recent struggles continued at Leeds' fortress, but head coach the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for his side not suffering even more damage against Leeds.

The Everton loanee headed a first-period effort against the post for the in-form home team before the American midfielder finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, 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 two days less to prepare, the forward restored parity three minutes after the opener when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing 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 mix of injury and national team commitments.

Not that the hosts to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.

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 the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned his teammate's cut-back wide from six yards out.

The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post in the dying moments.

The point prolongs 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 drop 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: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a pretty quick exit.

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

It's not that the missing pair are the solution to all of United'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 clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for Cunha's 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 preferred positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

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

His failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the young striker.

Leeds United Breakdown: Another Step Towards Safety

After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a comparatively subdued affair.

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

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

The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a tight first half.

It still felt as though the hosts 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 coveted win against their old foes.

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

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

Instead, he is now overseeing clear improvement.

The task is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting nearer to achieving their top-flight status.

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. Manchester United face a league trip to Turf Moor before also entering their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.