Bayern’s weakened defence will be coming up against Salzburg’s exciting attacking prodigy tonight, which leaves FCB fan reporter Lucas Gebhardt a little worried…

The time has come. More than two months after the last Champions League match, the knockout phase starts for Bayern tonight. Admittedly, at first glance it looks as if the team has got a comparatively easy opponent in RBSalzburg. However, the Austrian serial champions have caused quite a stir in recent years and this match is anything but a foregone conclusion.

One of the main reasons for that is a man who is currently being considered by many top clubs – and with good reason. Karim Adeyemi is only 20 years old but has already proven that he is a great talent. He scored three times in the group stage of the Champions League and the striker, who played for Bayern's youth team, now has his sights set on the round of 16.

What could be a concern from Bayern’s point of view is the emergence of some defensive difficulties. Four goals were conceded in defeat to newly promoted Bochum at the weekend, and there have generally been too many individual mistakes in recent weeks. The absence of Manuel Neuer for the games against Salzburg also weighs heavily on my mind. Although the team has Sven Ulreich, who is a decent back-up, he is not comparable to the world-class qualities of the number one.

These circumstances mean that quite a few people think Salzburg have a lot to play for in this clash. May the best team win – and may that team beBayern!