Sheffield Wednesday came from three goals down to claim a point in a Boxing Day Championship thriller with 10-man Middlesbrough.

Boro looked to be coasting to three points as a Ben Doak goal and two from Finn Azaz had them 3-0 up inside 30 minutes.

But Danny Rohl's team staged an incredible comeback as substitute Svante Ingelsson and Josh Windass reduced the deficit to one within nine minutes of the start of the second half.

Home defender Rav van den Berg was sent off for a second bookable offence and moments later Yan Valery headed in the equaliser from Shea Charles' corner.

Boro slip out of the play-off places with this result, three points clear of Wednesday in ninth, but there are no doubts over who will be more pleased with this result.

Wednesday had arrived on Teesside on the back of their best form of the season, having won four of the previous six games and their past three on the road, but they were blown away by Boro's blistering start in front of 32,147, the biggest crowd at the Riverside since May 2023.

On-loan Liverpool teenager Doak was in the right place at the back post to dive and head home Azaz's cross for only his second goal in 18 appearances of his spell at Boro.

Then Azaz went from provider to scorer as the hosts went two up, the midfielder finding the bottom corner from just inside the box with a cool finish from Neto Borges' for his seventh goal of the season.

And his eighth was not too far behind as he instinctively volleyed in from six yards after Hayden Hackney's blocked effort popped up for him.

With eight goals and nine assists, only Norwich City's Borja Sainz has as many goal involvements in the Championship this season as Azaz.

The only bad news for Boro in that opening spell was the loss of Scotland forward Tommy Conway to injury.

Owls boss Rohl made two changes at half-time, sending on Ingelsson and Nathaniel Chalobah, but even the German would have been stunned at how things turned in his side's favour.

They needed less than two minutes to pull one back as Swedish midfielder Ingelsson swept in his first goal in English football after good work by Charles down the right.

But it was game on when Windass made it 3-2, getting enough on Djeidi Gassama's cross to take it past Sol Brynn at his near post.

Michael Carrick's team were creaking and their cause was not helped when Van den Berg picked up a second yellow card for bringing down Charles, having been booked for a foul on Windass in the first half.

Brynn made a fine save to deny Windass an equaliser before he had to be replaced by substitute goalkeeper Tom Glover.

And the Australian's first act was to pick the ball out of the net as Valery flicked home Charles' corner at the near post.

It was a first goal for the Tunisia international since scoring in the Premier League for Southampton in March 2019.

With a man extra, Wednesday had the momentum and captain Barry Bannan and Charles both went close, yet at the other end James Beadle was forced into action by Emmanuel Latte Lath.

After such a frenetic game, there will be little time to recover as Boro welcome high-flying Burnley on Sunday night, with Wednesday away to Preston North End earlier in the day.

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:

"There were so many good things in the first half to be in a position like we were in and be in a commanding position going into the second half.

"To let the game unravel and get away from us that quickly, it can't happen. It's pretty obvious to say that, but it can't happen.

"It went so quickly and we made some bad decisions, didn't react to it too well and then a couple of deflections and they score the goals, but it can't happen."

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"Outstanding. How we came back was so strong. The mentality, the belief was there, the trust.

"We made some points at half-time, we changed the shape to 4-1-4-1, it was very helpful, we controlled the midfield more, the players who came on helped us.

"But we should also recognise the first half. In the end, we are happy to come back. It's not normal against a strong Middlesbrough, who play a fast, attacking style."