Feature: Ancelotti's gently approach: Bayern off to a clean start

Carlo Ancelotti's game plan for this season's Champions League campaign appears to be one that could well see his side lifting the trophy. When the group phase kicked off for his German club Bayern Munich against Russian team FK Rostov (5-0) on Tuesday evening, the 57-year-old Italian star coach sounded like someone planning a party with specially important guests on June 3 when the 2017 final takes place in Cardiff, Wales.

The 5-0 win was Bayern's 13th successive victory in a Champions League home game. Munich last loss on home soil came when they were beaten 4-0 by Real Madrid where the coach was a certain Carlo Ancelotti. Against Rostov, the goal scorers were Robert Lewandowski (pen), Thomas Mueller (on his 27th birthday), Joshua Kimmich (2) and Juan Bernat.

"The important games come in March, April and May," Ancelotti said. "Then it is important to have all your important players available. Until then it's important to keep all the players motivated, giving them pitch time. And it's important to keep all the key players fresh by giving them enough breaks beforehand," Ancelotti said.

While his team won't have any real serious problems in their group matches, what counts for clubs aiming to win the Champions League are the knock-out games.

It might not come as a surprise hearing what Ancelotti has to say. But for him to say the simple words then it is special. No other coach is seen as being "Mr. Champions League" in the way he is. He twice won the cup as a player and three times as a coach with two different clubs. Bayern is the seventh team Ancelotti's has coached in the world's most important club competition.

A son of a farmer, when Ancelotti was asked about his relationship to the Champions League he smiled. "It must be a special one and it is a special one. Playing for Milan the Champions League was always was regarded as something very special. It was the most important thing for the club. The attitude has perhaps led to me developing a special relationship too. No doubt the Champions League is something special for me," Ancelotti said.

What Ancelotti wanted to express was that it might need a gentle and clever approach to land the top prize. That was exactly his message in the game against the Russian underdog.

What he called "not much of a rotation" in advance of the game ended up with four changes in the starting eleven and more changes during the game. Without the injured Arjen Robben, Jerome Boateng and Kingsley Coman, Ancelotti kept his tactical 4-3-3 system, but gave key-players like Philipp Lahm, Franck Ribery, Xabi Alonso and Renato Sanches a break.

Instead Rafinha played as right back, Douglas Costa along the left flank and Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich in midfield. Juan Bernat was later sent on as a substitute. And he positioned Thiago right in front the defense instead further up in midfield. Further up Kimmich and Vidal did the job. Bayern`s game was more direct in general.

When Pep Guardiola was chasing the Champions League title with Bayern many things did not sound that gentle and easy. Guardiola is different to Ancelotti. He' s a highly-focused coach, meaning, every game is regarded as a final and Guardiola is on the edge every time. Guardiola tried to bag the trophy three times and failed three times by "only" reaching the semifinal. Every time the atmosphere seemed to be filled with an enormous amount of tension.

Guardiola might not have won the Champions League but was nevertheless successful. It is no easy thing to reach the semifinal of the Champions League three times in a row. But after eruptive Guardiola, it might be just the right approach to see things from a different perspective - Carlo Ancelotti's.

Youngster Joshua Kimmich might represent his teammates' feelings when it comes to Ancelotti's way of doing things. Under Ancelotti, Kimmich first seemed to have lost his place in the starting eleven, but still is in top shape when the boss comes calling.

Kimmich recently scored his first goal for Germany, scored his first goal in the German Bundesliga and today followed by hitting the net twice in the Champions League against Rostov game. To keep his sidelined stars in a good mood, Ancelotti gave Sanches and Ribery some time on the pitch in the last 15 minutes.

No doubt Rostov was no team to worry about unduly as the Russians lack the necessary quality to challenge a club like Bayern Munich. But Ancelotti treated his first game with Bayern in the Champions League as it should be treated - a game you have take seriously but not like a final or a tense encounter where the result is in doubt.

Ancelotti meanwhile might have to change his approach slightly for Bayern's next game as the Italian coach will have to come up with solutions when he faces last season's losing finalists Atletico Madrid. He will not want to lose the game but won't regard it as a final as it is just as another group match - but one that is more important. "Our goal at the moment is to win the group, everything else we will see later," Ancelotti said. Endit