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Bayern heads to Moscow, Manchester City hosts Roma

By WTOP Staff

NESHA STARCEVIC
AP Sports Writer

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Group E of the Champions League features two teams that need to recover from defeats in opening matches.

CSKA Moscow hosts four-time champion Bayern Munich after losing 5-1 at Roma. Manchester City lost 1-0 at Bayern and is now at home to Roma.

Here are some things to know about Tuesday’s matches:

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BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Bayern and CSKA are meeting in the group stage for the second consecutive season. Bayern won both matches, 3-0 in Munich and 3-1 in Moscow.

When the two sides met in Moscow in November, CSKA was already eliminated and Bayern posted its record 10th straight victory in the Champions League.

CSKA needs to bounce back from the opening 5-1 rout by Roma, while Bayern clinched a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

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NO FANS

The Bayern-CSKA match will be held without fans, since the Russian club has been punished for the misbehavior of its supporters.

The Moscow club also cannot use its stadium, but since it is under reconstruction, it has been allowed by UEFA to use the Khimkhi Arena, where it has been playing its Russian league home matches.

Playing at home is not much of an advantage for CSKA anyway. The only “home” game CSKA won last season was actually played in St. Petersburg, because of the bad state of the Moscow field. CSKA beat Viktoria Plzen 3-2.

CSKA has lost five of its last seven international matches in Moscow.

While it may look “like a training match” because of the lack of fans, according to Arjen Robben, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said “we need the three points because we are in a difficult group.”

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CITY VS. ITALIANS

Manchester City’s last victory against an Italian team, home or away, dates back to the 1978-79 UEFA Cup, when it beat AC Milan 3-1.

But it is also unbeaten at home in four matches against Italian opposition.

City had a 50-50 record at home last season in the Champions League — two victories and two losses.

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HART RETURNS

Joe Hart will return to the City goal against Roma after being surprisingly omitted for the 4-2 victory over Hull on Saturday.

That raised questions over Hart’s position, with Willy Caballero considered a more credible challenger to a starting spot than predecessor Costel Pantilimon.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini said it was a straightforward case of squad rotation and later confirmed Hart would be back on duty against Roma after making a string of fine saves in the slender loss to Munich.

“It’s a crucial game because Roma won their first match and we lost,” Pellegrini said. “It will be a very tough group and we cannot drop points here at home. It’s very important for us to win that game.”

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PERFECT ROMA

Roma travels to Manchester City hoping its perfect record will remain intact at the end of a crucial week for the Italian club.

Rudi Garcia’s team is 6-0 in all competitions and has a 14-2 goal difference.

After the trip to Manchester, Roma faces what is already being billed as a title showdown with Juventus on Sunday.

“It will be a really fantastic match in Manchester,” Garcia said. “They have zero points, they have the pressure. They have to get a result. Then we will have plenty of time to get our strength back for the next league match.

“We are a solid team and this group has confidence in their own abilities. That’s what I like the most. Maybe we’ll suffer a bit at Manchester, but we will do everything we can to score and get a positive result. I believe this group is ready to deal with difficult moments. They will happen during this season, but after 15 points and a good start in the Champions League we shouldn’t be thinking of difficult moments.”

Roma will be boosted by the return of Juan Manuel Iturbe, who has been sidelined with injury since the 5-1 victory over CSKA Moscow, which saw him score once and set up two other goals in 25 minutes.

But Roma has won only once in 14 trips to England and lost all three matches in Manchester — to United.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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