BIRMINGHAM, England (Interstat) — In a chaotic and contentious Championship match that saw a first-half red card and two pairs of identical, rapid-fire goals, Birmingham City and Sheffield United played to a 1-1 draw Saturday at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

The match, which lived up to its billing as a tense mid-table clash, was turned on its head in the 23rd minute when Sheffield United defender Femi Seriki was shown a straight red card, forcing the visitors to play more than 70 minutes with 10 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Sheffield United struck first. Just two minutes after the sending off, midfielder Marvin Ducksch broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, finishing an assist from defender Jack Robinson. In a moment of immediate déjà vu, the sequence repeated itself instantly from the ensuing kickoff. Robinson again found Ducksch, who scored an identical second goal within seconds of his first, stunning the home crowd.

Sheffield United’s two-goal lead, however, was short-lived. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Birmingham substitute Patrick Bamford pulled a goal back in the 45+3rd minute, converting a pass from defender Christoph Klarer. Mirroring the earlier bizarre sequence, Bamford then scored again immediately after the restart, with Klarer registering his second assist in as many moments to level the score before the halftime whistle.

The second half failed to produce further goals but was rife with disciplinary issues. The physical encounter saw nine yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Sheffield United’s Robinson and Andre Brooks, along with Birmingham’s Klarer, were each booked twice in quick succession for their roles in the heated moments surrounding the flurry of goals. Birmingham substitute Japhet Tanganga and Sheffield United’s Harrison Burrows and Adam Davies also received cautions as the match grew increasingly fractious.

The result leaves both teams firmly in the middle of the Championship table. Sheffield United’s season record in the competition now stands at 15 wins, 17 losses and five draws. Birmingham City’s league record moves to 14 wins, 12 losses and nine draws.

The draw continues a pattern of closely contested matches for Birmingham, which was coming off a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday. Sheffield United, which lost 2-1 at Norwich City in its last outing, will see the point as a hard-earned result given the extended period with a man down.

The pregame statistical projection from Interstat closely predicted the final outcome, having simulated a 1-1 draw. Their ELO rating system had given Birmingham City, the home side, a 66.5 percent probability of victory, an advantage that was ultimately neutralized by the visitors’ resilient, if chaotic, response to adversity.

Sheffield United will next host Wrexham on March 21. Birmingham City travels to face Derby County the same day.