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PSG inflicts Barcelona’s first loss of the season

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain overcame goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar to inflict Barcelona’s first loss of the season on Tuesday.

PSG, which has endured a subdued start to its French title defense, took control of Group F with the 3-2 victory over the Spanish league leaders in the Champions League.

“You are made to pay for errors at this level and we made a few mistakes at the beginning,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “Later we saw some strategic moves which they execute with great strength and they hurt us.”

It meant there was nothing for Xavi Hernandez to celebrate as the Barca midfielder overtook Raul Gonzalez by making a record 143rd Champions League appearance.

It was also a record-breaking night for 38-year-old Francesco Totti, who became the oldest scorer in the competition’s 22-year history to give Roma a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Bayern Munich leads Group E after winning 1-0 at CSKA Moscow, whose stadium was empty as a punishment for racist abuse.

Chelsea also beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 to lead Group G, with Schalke held to a 1-1 draw by Maribor.

FC Porto leads Group H after a 2-2 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk that was played in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv due to the conflict in the east. BATE climbed to second place by beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1.

It was a star-studded occasion in the French capital — even in the stands, with celebrity couple Jay-Z and Beyonce watching with former PSG midfielder David Beckham.

And it was the perfect start for the hosts, with David Luiz becoming the first player to score against Barcelona this season in the 10th minute after connecting with Javier Pastore’s free kick.

But Messi leveled inside two minutes, slotting into the bottom corner of the net for his 402nd career goal and 68th Champions League goal — putting him three behind all-time leading scorer Raul.

Slack defending by Barcelona allowed Verratti — one of the smallest players on the pitch — to drift in unmarked and head in his first PSG goal on his 62nd appearance in the 26th minute. PSG’s lead was extended at the start of the second half when Van der Wiel’s firmly struck cross was met by Blaise Matuidi at the back post.

Although PSG’s defensive vulnerability was exposed by Neymar knocking the ball into the net off the post, the hosts held on to collect three points.

In the other game in Group F, Lucas Andersen put Ajax in front but Gustavo Manduca scored from the penalty spot to give APOEL Nicosia a 1-1 draw.

That was the same outcome in Manchester where Sergio Aguero put English champion City in front from the penalty spot in the fifth minute after being dragged down by Maicon.

But after a quick Roma break, Radja Nainggolan slipped a pass through a hole in City’s defense and Totti raced onto the ball, clipping a delicate shot over goalkeeper Joe Hart and into the corner. By scoring at 38, Totti broke the record held by Manchester United great Ryan Giggs, who was 37 years and 9 months when he scored in 2011.

City has just one point after being beaten in the last round by Bayern, which earned another 1-0 win at CSKA. Thomas Mueller scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the first half after Mario Goetze was fouled by Mario Fernandes.

In Lisbon, the victory margin belied Chelsea’s dominance but reflected its profligacy, with the only goal coming when Nemanja Matic sent a looping header into the net from Cesc Fabregas’ free kick.

Both Schalke and Maribor drew their opening Group G matches at Chelsea and Sporting respectively, and had to settle for a point again. Damjan Bohar put the Slovenian visitors in front in the first half before Klaas Jan Huntelaar leveled for Schalke after the break.

In Group H, Shakhtar Donetsk threw away a 2-0 lead after goals from Brazilian duo Alex Teixeira and Luiz Adriano. Porto’s Jackson Martinez netted twice late on — the first from the penalty spot in the 89th and the second in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

BATE’s win over Athletic Bilbao was secured by goals from Denis Polyakov and Aleksandr Karnitski.

___

Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

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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