Silva warned his players that Benfica would not have an easy time against the Danish champions on Thursday evening.
"They became champions, and you don't become a champion by accident. It is important to acknowledge that. They are a good team that has ended up in this competition after playing in the Champions League."
"That forces us to play at our best level. They like to make the match more physical. So, we need to hit our stride if we are to control the game."
"If we aren't sharp, they’re going to cause us problems," Marco Silva told the media at the press conference.
The Benfica head coach faced several questions regarding the relative strengths of the Portuguese giants and AGF, but he remained firm.
The Aarhus side is not to be taken lightly.
"We have a tough match ahead of us. They are a championship-winning team, and that brings them great energy and positivity. That was the mindset they carried into their pre-season, too. They’ve made it this far, so a challenge awaits us."
Benfica will face AGF at Estadio da Luz Thursday night at 21.00 CET