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PSG hosts Barcelona, Ajax goes to APOEL

By WTOP Staff

JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain has two problems ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Barcelona: figuring out how to find its own form again and how to unlock an opposing defense that has yet to concede a goal this season.

Despite a glut of stars at its disposal, PSG has drawn six of the nine games it has played this season, including a 1-1 draw at Ajax. The frustration is starting to get to the players, and coach Laurent Blanc has even switched his formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 in a bid to find the fluidity so lacking in the team’s play.

Barcelona has no such worries and, led by its lethal attacking duo of Lionel Messi and Neymar, will be confident of picking up a second straight win to take control of Group F.

In the other match, Ajax faces a tough to trip to face Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia, which has a good home record.

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

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IBRAHIMOVIC OUT

Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to recover from a left heel injury that kept him out of the past two games and won’t face his former team.

Given how PSG has struggled so far this season, and that it has won only 40 percent of matches when he hasn’t played, Ibrahimovic’s absence is a major setback for the French champions.

PSG’s attack without him looks somewhat muted. Edinson Cavani still looks short of his best, even when playing in his preferred center forward’s role, as he did in the past two games, and PSG misses the pace and power of Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi, who is out with a thigh injury.

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SCORING BURDEN

PSG’s acquisition of the versatile David Luiz from Chelsea in the offseason strengthened the defense and midfield, yet money may well have been better spent on another forward.

PSG’s bid for Angel di Maria failed to materialize, the Argentina winger instead joining Manchester United, and PSG’s attacking options look somewhat threadbare.

Aside from Edinson Cavani, who has scored 29 goals in 51 games since joining from Napoli last season, goals are hard to come by despite a large financial outlay.

Winger Jean-Christophe Bahebeck’s goal in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Toulouse was his first in the league.

Brazil winger Lucas has been very disappointing since joining from Sao Paulo, managing only five goals in 68 games, while playmaker Javier Pastore continues to flitter in and out of the side and has failed to score this season.

In midfield, Marco Verratti has yet to score in 61 games, Blaise Matuidi has 11 in 102 and Thiago Motta a mediocre six in 58 games.

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PERFECT PAIRING

The Lionel Messi-Neymar strike partnership is turning into a demolition gang.

Neymar has scored six goals in all competitions this season and Messi has five, with the Argentina star providing his teammate with four assists. Neymar got his first hat trick in Barcelona’s 6-0 rout of Granada and Messi reached his 400th career goal for club and country.

Last season, the duo shared only 14 starts. But now under coach Luis Enrique’s guidance, Neymar is feasting on Messi’s superb first-time passes.

“Messi looks for any player up ahead,” Neymar said. “We are making a good pairing and we’re getting to know each other better all the time.”

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RECORD AHOY

Messi may be short in stature and relatively undemonstrative on the field, but his hunger for goals is enormous.

The Argentina forward has scored 67 Champions League goals, within sight of former Real Madrid star Raul Gonzalez’s all-time record of 71.

He is also locked in a scoring battle with Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi and Ronaldo started this season with 67, but Ronaldo scored in Real Madrid’s 5-1 trouncing of FC Basel to move one ahead of Messi, who failed to score in a gritty 1-0 win over APOEL Nicosia.

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TOUGHER THAN BARCELONA?

APOEL Nicosia coach Giorgos Donis believes facing Ajax will be tougher than the trip to Barcelona, because APOEL will change strategy from all-out defense to attack.

The game will be the fifth in two weeks for APOEL, which is making only its third appearance in Europe’s top competition, and Donis thinks that will also be a factor.

“It will be an exhausting match for us in the sense that we’ll have to be excellent in all facets of the game,” Donis said. “I believe it will be the toughest game so far.”

APOEL has a strong home record with 15 wins in 18 matches at Nicosia’s GSP stadium in last year’s championship.

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Associated Press writers Harold Heckle in Madrid and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.

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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