Middlesbrough 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday: Owls come from 3-0 down to draw with 10-man Boro

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’ pass 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.