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Madrid loses 4-2; Barcelona wins

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Champions League winner Real Madrid failed to hold a two-goal lead and lost 4-2 at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Lionel Messi suffered a leg injury after helping Barcelona to its second straight win to start the season.

In England, Liverpool beat Tottenham, while Arsenal slumped to its second draw in three matches.

Here is a look at the action from Europe’s top leagues on Sunday:

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SPAIN

Madrid was playing without injured star Cristiano Ronaldo but looked set for a routine victory at Anoeta Stadium after dominating the first half hour with goals by Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale.

But David Zurutuza scored twice for Sociedad and Inigo Martinez and Carlos Vela added goals as the hosts rallied.

“We were horrible,” Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas said. “The game was negative in every aspect. We can’t continue to play like this.”

Barcelona won 1-0 at Villarreal after Messi set up the winning goal in the 82nd minute, taking Neymar’s through-ball and drawing goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo off his line before picking out substitute Sandro Ramirez to push the winner into the net.

The 19-year-old Ramirez was making his Barcelona debut and had come on as a substitute just 12 minutes earlier.

Barcelona said after the game that Messi had sustained a right leg muscle injury and would undergo tests on Monday.

Neymar came on as a second-half substitute for his first competitive game since fracturing a vertebra at the World Cup, having missed last weekend’s league opener with a left ankle sprain.

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ENGLAND

Liverpool had the look of a Premier League title challenger again during an impressive 3-0 win at Tottenham, while Arsenal’s scoring struggles were once more exposed in a 1-1 draw at Leicester.

Alexis Sanchez’s first league goal for Arsenal since joining from Barcelona. Leonardo Ulloa’s header was the goal for newly-promoted Leicester.

Liverpool, though, recovered from its setback at Manchester City at the start of the week with a convincing performance at Tottenham. Newly signed striker Mario Balotelli made his debut, but the goals came from forward Raheem Sterling, captain Steven Gerrard’s penalty and new defender Alberto Moreno.

Unbeaten Aston Villa beat Hull 2-1 for its second win in three games.

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ITALY

Filippo Inzaghi got off to a winning start as AC Milan coach as his team eased to a 3-1 victory over Lazio in its Serie A opener.

Goals from Keisuke Honda and Sulley Muntari and a penalty from Jeremy Menez gave Milan a comfortable lead before Lazio pulled one back with an own goal from new Rossoneri signing Alex.

New Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez saved Antonio Candreva’s penalty in stoppage time.

Inter Milan’s new signing Nemanja Vidic had a less than impressive Serie A debut as the former Manchester United defender gave away a penalty and was sent off in stoppage time in his side’s 0-0 draw at Torino. Jonathan de Guzman had a better start at Napoli as his last-gasp goal grabbed a late 2-1 win at Genoa, while 10-man Sampdoria also scored late to draw 1-1 against newly promoted-Palermo.

Also, Atalanta drew 0-0 at home to Hellas Verona.

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FRANCE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat trick on his return from injury as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Saint-Etienne 5-0 in the French league.

The return of the Sweden striker seemed to give PSG’s attack the spark it was missing in a goalless draw the previous weekend. After an own-goal by Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier in the 24th minute, Ibrahimovic doubled the lead by heading home a cross in the 41st and then intercepted a back pass to dribble past Ruffier for a 3-0 lead in the 62nd.

Edinson Cavani made it 4-0 a minute later with a curling shot from 25 yards before Ibrahimovic beat the offside trap to slip the ball past Ruffier in the 72nd. The Swede missed the previous game with a left oblique injury.

Leader Bordeaux dropped its first points this season by drawing with Bastia 1-1, while Lyon lost 2-1 to promoted Metz for a third straight defeat in the league.

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GERMANY

Mainz could only draw 0-0 with Hannover to round out a difficult week, while Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach also played out a goalless draw in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Mainz, which failed to qualify for the Europa League and was knocked out in the first round of the German Cup, had a penalty appeal waved off in the first half.

Freiburg’s Admir Mehmedi missed a penalty in the late game.

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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