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Madrid starts Champions League defense in style

By WTOP Staff

SAMUEL PETREQUIN
AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Real Madrid started the defense of its Champions League crown with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Basel on Tuesday, while Liverpool celebrated its return to Europe’s top club competition with a dramatic 2-1 win against Bulgarian side Ludogorets.

Madrid’s win should end talk of crisis following a poor start to the club’s domestic season.

Goals by Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema and a Basel own-goal secured the 10-time champions’ victory in Group B.

Five years after its last involvement in the Champions League, Liverpool needed a penalty from Steven Gerrard in the third minute of added time – just two minutes after Ludogorets looked to have snatched a draw – to earn all three points. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund beat Arsenal 2-0 and last season’s finalist Atletico Madrid lost 3-2 at Olympiakos.

Madrid’s win was much more easier as Carlo Ancelotti’s players silenced their critics with a beautiful display of free-flowing football as they turned their attention away from their domestic woes.

Madrid lost to Atletico in the Spanish Super Cup last month before Ancelotti’s side collapsed 4-2 at Real Sociedad in the league and followed it up with a 2-1 loss to Atletico at home on Saturday.

Against Basel, the Merengue played with pace and were spectacular up front, despite their defense looking anything but solid.

Madrid opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Jose Fernandez’s shot was deflected by Marek Suchy for an own-goal.

Bale then received a subtle Modric’s ball to double his team’s lead and gave Ronaldo a pass that the Portugal forward — the competition’s top scorer last season with 17 goals — converted a minute later.

Rodriguez added the fourth in the 37th before Derlis Gonzalez pulled one back for Basel in the 38th. Benzema made it five in the 79th after Ronaldo’s pass.

Mario Balotelli got his first goal for Liverpool in the 82nd minute before Ludogorets, a side who had not won a game in UEFA competition before last season, equalized through Dani Abalo’s goal.

Liverpool was then awarded a penalty when goalkeeper Milan Borjan brought down substitute Javier Manquillo and Gerrard slotted home from the spot.

“Looking at the game as a whole, we did okay. We didn’t do better than okay,” Gerrard said. “I thought they caused us quite a few problems on the counterattack, so there’s a lot for myself and the lads to learn.”

In Group A, former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez ended his European goal drought as he scored twice in a 2-0 win over Malmo, for his first goal in the competition since April 2009.

In the group’s other game the shock came from Athens, where Olympiakos defeated Atletico as Arthur Masuaku — with a superb strike from outside the area — and Ibrahim Afellay scored early goals.

Mario Mandzukic pulled one back before Kostas Mitroglou extended the hosts’s lead. Antoine Griezmann’s late strike from close range did not prevent Olympiakos from earning the three points.

Monaco won against the run of the play with a 1-0 win over Leverkusen in Group C courtesy of Joao Moutinho’ goal, while Benfica’s 51-match unbeaten home record in all competition came to an end.

Hulk and Axel Witsel scored first-half goals to give Zenit the win against a 10-man Benfica as goalkeeper Artur was sent off in the 18th for obstructing Danny.

In Group D, Borussia Dortmund strikers Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored either side of halftime to give their side a 2-0 with over Arsenal.

Immobile, signed from Torino in the offseason, sprinted almost half the length of the pitch and held off Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny before dispatching a low shot inside the far post just before the break.

“I’m very happy to score, that we won, because it hasn’t been easy for me to settle into the Bundesliga. I’m happy that I was able to make my teammates happy,” Immobile said.

Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz scored in stoppage time to snatch a 1-1 draw against Anderlecht in the group’s other match.

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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