If asked to take a wild guess at who was currently topping the Portuguese championship, chances are you'd pick one of Porto, Benfica or Sporting Lisbon.

And with good reason. After all, these three clubs have dominated the Primeira Divisao and its successor the Primeira Liga since day one.

Indeed, there have only ever been two occasions - Belenenses in 1945-46 and Boavista in 2000-01 - when one of the big three hasn't lifted the trophy.

Famalicao have proved the surprise package of Portuguese football so far this season - Fabio Martins (left) celebrates scoring in their match against Vitoria Guimaraes

These are exciting times for the supporters of the tiny club, who have just been promoted back into the Primeira Liga after nearly three decades in the lower leagues

Unbeaten from their first five matches, Famalicao are currently ahead of giants Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon in the league standings

Results so far August 10 Santa Clara (A) 2-0 August 16 Rio Ave (H) 1-0 August 25 Vitoria Guimaraes (A) 1-1 August 31 Aves (A) 3-2 September 14 Pacos Ferreira (H) 4-2 Advertisement

Benfica have 37 title wins to their credit, Porto 28 and Sporting Lisbon 18, so it is certainly noteworthy when someone else sits top of the standings, even if it is just five games into the season.

Enter FC Famalicao, the newly-promoted club from a town near Braga in Portugal's north with a 5,000-capacity stadium who currently sit a point ahead of Benfica and Porto in the early standings.

With four wins and a draw from their first five fixtures back in the top-flight, Famalicao are certainly making an impression after earning promotion as runners-up to Pacos de Ferreira in May.

They opened their season with a 2-0 win at Santa Clara before a 1-0 home win over Rio Ave. A 1-1 draw at Vitoria Guimaraes remains their only dropped points before they won 3-2 at Aves and 4-2 against Pacos Ferreira.

On Monday, they face their toughest challenge of the season at Sporting Lisbon, so chances are their unbeaten start will come to an end.

But it has nonetheless been a very encouraging start for a club that has completed a slow climb back from the regional football of the Portuguese fifth tier in the past decade having previously graced the top league in the early 90s.

English defender Josh Tymon (right) was one of 19 summer arrivals at Famalicao

Famalicao's manager Joao Pedro Sousa speaks with Gustavo Assuncao during a match

The unpretentious textile town of Vila Nova de Famalicao is situated pretty much midway between the cities of Porto and Braga in Portugal's north.

To the east is the city of Guimaraes, where England's UEFA Nations League campaign ended in heartache last summer, and 20 minutes' drive to the west are the beaches of the Atlantic coast.

Now football has the potential to put the town on the map - but not everything is as romantic as it seems about Famalicao's bright start.

They have been owned for the past year by Quantum Pacific Group, fronted by the Israeli shipping magnate Idan Ofer, whose wealth is valued by Forbes at $5.1billion (£4.06bn). His investment has been considerable.

Ofer's group increased its share in the club from 51 per cent to 85 per cent earlier this month following a summer overhaul of playing personnel that saw 19 new signings and a similar number depart.

There was also a change of manager, with Joao Pedro Sousa, former assistant to Marco Silva at Hull City, Watford and Everton, replacing the promotion-winning Carlos Pinto.

The club's Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho, which has a capacity of 5,307 spectators

The club's supporters hope they can continue to challenge at the top end of the division

Famalicao fact file Founded: 1931 (88 years ago) Ground: Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho in Vila Nova de Famalicao Capacity: 5,307 Owner: Idan Ofer Manager: Joao Pedro Sousa Colours: White and blue Last season: LigaPro, 2nd (promoted) Advertisement

But while the drastic overhaul was designed to ensure Famalicao were competitive in the Primeira Liga, the calibre of some of those brought in raised a few eyebrows.

And that's because of not only the riches of Ofer, who also has a 32 per cent stake in Atletico Madrid, but the influence of super agent Jorge Mendes and his Gestifute agency.

Famalicao appear to be the agent's latest 'project' and, while this hasn't been made official, a closer look at some of the summer reinforcement betray his fingerprints.

Take the Portugal under-21 winger Diogo Goncalves and attacking midfielder Guga, summer arrivals from Benfica on loan and permanently respectively, who are both Mendes clients.

Pedro Goncalves and Roderick Miranda have come in from Wolverhampton Wanderers, another club Mendes has close ties to.

Then there is 19-year-old defensive midfielder Gustavo Assuncao, who has joined from Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club Mendes' most exciting prodigy, Joao Felix, joined for £113m over the summer.

Super agent Jorge Mendes has been involved in moving several of his clients to Famalicao

Manager Joao Pedro Sousa was previously assistant to Marco Silva in the Premier League

Fans of Famalicao pictured at a fixture during their promotion-winning 2018-19 campaign

Two acquisitions came in from England. The Portuguese winger Ruben Lameiras, who has actually never played in Portugal but enjoyed an excellent season in 2018-19 with Plymouth Argyle, scoring 12 goals and assisting another nine.

And Josh Tymon, the England under-20 international left-back, who joined on loan from Championship club Stoke City.

Famalicao manager Sousa worked with Tymon during the defender's time at Hull and clearly values his talents.

Tymon has already played more league football in a month this season than he did in the entirety of last season with Stoke.

Even if Famalicao are backed by a billionaire and have Mendes helping with recruitment, their emergence as a challenger to the established top three in Portugal is viewed as a positive thing.

But whether a smalltown club that averages crowds of 4,960 can really smash the glass ceiling and finish above the mighty Porto, Benfica and Sporting remains to be seen.