Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a first-half header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the hosts ahead with a well-placed effort in the second half.
- Matheus Cunha equalises only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils' poor run of form continued at Leeds' fortress, but manager the Portuguese tactician had his Brazilian forward to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed a first-period attempt against the woodwork for the in-form home team before Brenden Aaronson finished superbly with a driven, 62nd-minute shot.
At that stage, Amorim was in the firing line after his side had been held by bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to recover, the forward restored parity three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian's fourth Premier League goal since his high-profile summer move and came at a time when the manager is without four key attacking players due to a mix of fitness issues and international duty.
Not that Leeds to care about that given their own tight schedule.
The Swiss attacker forced a full length save out of Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and visiting heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is struggling to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from close range.
Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The point prolongs the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, 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 matter of hours, wasted.
Man Utd Analysis: Amorim's Side Struggle Again
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, Amorim could be forgiven for hoping the participating nations make a swift exit.
Current injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's squad.
It's not that the absent players are the solution 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, the boss has few alternatives in attack.
He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Dutch forward provided the assist for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.
Sesko's failure to turn home Zirkzee's cross means it is now nine games without a goal for the young striker.
Leeds Analysis: Another Step Towards Survival
After memorable victories in their last few home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.
True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in other encounters.
The home fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The striker's header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of threat in a congested first half.
It still felt as though the hosts were struggling when a defensive error opened the door for Aaronson.
For a short moment, Leeds' ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many thought about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing clear progress.
The task is not done yet but step by step, the team are getting closer to securing their survival.
Looking Ahead
The Yorkshire club 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 Turf Moor before also entering their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
