Critical decision by Amorim pays off as United rescue point in hard-fought 1-1 draw against Leeds

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Leeds on Sunday afternoon in what was a tight contest at Elland Road. While Man United fell behind early in the second half, manager Ruben Amorim made a gutsy substitution, taking off a crucial defender for an attacker as he sought to get his side back into the contest. Ultimately, it was a risk that paid off. First half While the hosts looked energised out of the gate, United showed some decent composure, stringing together some decent passes as they sought to establish control over the flow of play. Senne Lammens sent a promising long ball up top, with Matheus Cunha hitting a threatening volley that went inches wide. It was a promising sign from United of what was potentially to come. Over the minutes that followed, it seemed that neither team was quite able to establish a clear attacking threat. It was largely a midfield battle, with the ball floating from one end of the field to another in a volleyball-like fashion. Leeds came close to finding an opening in the 20th minute thanks to a soaring cross into the box, only for Ayden Heaven to bravely head the ball out of danger. Luke Shaw also did well to stay on his mark so as to shut down any space he could have had to manoeuvre. Casemiro laid the ball off to Lisandro Martinez on the edge of the final third, only for his shot to be deflected out for a corner. Cunha stepped up to take United’s first corner of the match, whipping in a threatening cross only for a foul to be called in favour of Leeds. Dorgu was given a yellow card for what seemed like a light challenge. He would need to be careful for the remainder of the match. Ten minutes before half-time, Leeds almost opened the scoring when Dominic Calvert-Lewin leapt up to head a cross into the post. Senne Lammens was fortunate that the post was on his side, given how he and his defenders were caught entirely off guard. United seemed more wary after that, carefully maintaining possession until Cunha earned another corner for the visitors. Shaw’s corner cross was a good one, finding Casemiro, whose header found the head of Yoro. The defender’s header was tipped over the bar by the Leeds goalkeeper. The follow-up corner found Cunha on the edge of the box, whose volley flew way over the top. With one minute of stoppage time announced, Patrick Dorgu had a slick one-two with Cunha. Dorgu cut into the centre, firing a shot from the edge of the box that drifted wide. Although the match remained goalless at the break, United looked far more confident and aggressive on the attack than they did against Wolves a few days prior. With a little perseverance and continued attacking pressure, United looked poised to seize victory. Second half In the 54th minute, Leny Yoro made a brave sliding challenge to block an incoming cross. The subsequent corner was easily dealt with by the United defence. Two minutes later, United were on edge when Cunha ended up in the stands after getting into a tussle over the ball. While he spent a few moments face down on the ground, he was able to recover. Past the hour mark, Leeds broke the deadlock. Brenden Aaronson breezed past Heaven, who was poorly positioned. Aaronson slotted the ball past Lammens into the far right corner. In a state of urgency, Ruben Amorim decided to become more attacking, taking off Yoro for Joshua Zirkzee. Moments later, this switch seemed to pay off as Cunha levelled the scoreline. Zirkzee sent an impressive pass toward Cunha, who slotted the ball into the back of the net with an impressive strike. Zirkzee produced another fine pass with 15 minutes to play, picking out Benjamin Sesko in the centre. Unfortunately, his shot drifted wide of the post. With ten minutes to go, Cunha sent another shot past the far post. United were clearly continuing their hunt for more goals. While United were unable to find the back of the net again, it was a decent result considering how many key players they were lacking on the day. Hopefully, as AFCON players steadily return to Old Trafford and others recover from injury, United’s results will improve. Starting XI: Lammens, Martinez, Heaven, Yoro, Shaw, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dalot, Cunha, Dorgu, Sesko Subs: Zirkzee Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.