At a Glance
The Red Devils' disappointing run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team avoiding even more disappointment against Leeds.
The Everton loanee headed 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, Amorim was under intense scrutiny after his side had been held by struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at home earlier in the week.
However, against opponents who had less time to recover, Cunha levelled three minutes later when he latched onto a pass from substitute the Dutchman and slid a finish underneath advancing 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 combination of injury and national team commitments.
Not that you would expect Leeds to care about that given their own lack of preparation time.
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 Benjamin Sesko, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.
The goalscorer, who had a goal ruled out for offside much earlier in the contest, also fired against a post in the dying moments.
The point extends Leeds' unbeaten run to seven games, their best such streak since 2001, 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 matter of hours, squandered.
With the AFCON reaching its knockout phase, the United coach could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.
Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on Amorim's options.
It's not that the absent players 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 season.
But without them, Amorim has limited attacking options.
He evidently does not have full faith in teenager Shea Lacey or the seasoned Joshua Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost instantly after his introduction as a replacement.
That leaves the Brazilian, who has now scored three goals in five games, and others operating out of their natural positions, alongside Benjamin Sesko.
On this evidence, the expensive frontman looks similar to previous underwhelming 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.
After memorable victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to Elland Road was a bit drab affair.
True, there were moments of expected atmosphere, but the hostile edge was not as evident as in previous encounters.
The home fans were more concerned about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any length of time.
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 mistake opened the door for the opener.
For a short moment, The home delirious fans thought they were about to secure a coveted win against Manchester United.
However, there is a wider context for the manager and Leeds to deal with.
When they suffered a difficult run of form earlier in the season, many speculated about the manager's future.
Instead, he is now overseeing significant improvement.
The job is not completed yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.
Leeds 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 Premier League trip to Burnley before also beginning their FA Cup journey with a home tie.
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