Key Moments
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees a early header ricochet off the upright.
- Brenden Aaronson fires the home side ahead with a well-placed finish in the second half.
- Cunha levels only three minutes afterwards.
- The Yorkshire side continue their best top-flight unbeaten run since the turn of the century.
Manchester United's poor recent struggles persisted at Leeds' fortress, but manager Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more damage against Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin directed a first-half effort against the post for the confident home team before Brenden Aaronson applied a cool finish with a low, 62nd-minute effort.
With the goal, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had failed to beat bottom-of-the-table Wolves at home earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had two days less to prepare, the forward levelled three minutes after the opener when he latched onto a pass from introduced the Dutchman and slid a shot underneath advancing Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
It was only the Brazilian'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 full length save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a spectacular overhead kick, and visiting 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.
The goalscorer, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the match, also fired against a post late on.
The draw extends 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 drop zone.
For the Manchester United though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, 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 forgiven for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to skipper Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only heightened the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
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 season.
But without them, Amorim has few attacking options.
He clearly does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward delivered the assist for the equaliser almost immediately after his arrival as a substitute.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in recent outings, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and assurance in front of goal.
Sesko's 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 Safety
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their biggest rivals to home was a comparatively subdued affair.
True, there were moments of expected fervor, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
Leeds' fans were more concerned about their side's struggle to get sustained possession in advanced areas for any prolonged period.
The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an rare moment of quality in a congested 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 ecstatic fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and the club 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 overseeing clear progress.
The job is not done yet but gradually, Leeds are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.
What Happens Next?
The Yorkshire club have a top-flight trip to Newcastle in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Turf Moor before also beginning their cup journey with a Old Trafford tie.
