Viana keeping level head before Benfica

Portuguese Liga co-leaders SL Benfica and SC Braga go head-to-head on Saturday with the hosts' Hugo Viana warning that he and his team-mates must "keep our feet on the ground" after a record-breaking start to the season.

Unblemished start
Domingos Paciência was appointed as Braga coach over the summer following Jorge Jesus's departure for Benfica and made an immediate impact by guiding his new side to seven successive league victories – a feat previously achieved only by Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal and FC Porto. Such a start – which incorporated wins against Sporting and Porto – has raised expectations that Braga could follow in the footsteps of CF Os Belenenses (1946) and Boavista FC (2001) in becoming only the third club to break the hegemony enjoyed by the aforementioned 'big three'.

Dropped points
"Our coach said that our goal is just to do better than last season," Viana, who joined Braga on a season-long loan following their fifth-place finish last term, told uefa.com. "We'll do our best to keep our fans happy. We are confident but we also have humility." Such pragmatism will only have been heightened by a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave FC last Saturday which brought an end to Braga's perfect league record and allowed Benfica to move top of the standings courtesy of their superior goal difference.

Prolific Benfica
Jorge Jesus's side could barely be in finer fettle as Braga prepare for their former coach's return, having scored 48 goals in 14 matches this season, including 17 in their last three. Viana is, however, excited by what Domingos has had to offer since his close-season move from A. Académica de Coimbra. "He is a young and ambitious coach," added the midfielder. "He gives us enough freedom on the field so that we can play good football in the best way possible."