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Madrid wins late, Liverpool loses in Champs League

By WTOP Staff

GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — Real Madrid and Liverpool found their combined 15 European titles were no protection on the road in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ten-time champion Real Madrid trailed early against Bulgarian newcomer Ludogorets Razgrad, which was only formed as a club 13 years ago — in the same season the Spanish giant won its ninth title.

After Ludogorets’ stunning sixth-minute opener, Cristiano Ronaldo had a penalty saved and then scored with a second spot-kick in the 24th, before Madrid got substitute Karim Benzema’s 77th-minute goal to force a 2-1 win.

“We played as equal to Real and I am delighted with our performance,” Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendzhiev said.

Five-time winner Liverpool lost 1-0 at Basel, which specializes in beating English opponents, and trails Group B leader Madrid by three points before hosting the title holder next.

“I thought we were too soft all over the pitch,” Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said, adding his team “didn’t deserve anything” against Switzerland’s champion.

Borussia Dortmund won 3-0 at Anderlecht, and leads Group D by three points from Arsenal, which beat Galatasaray 4-1 despite goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny being sent off with 30 minutes left.

Atletico Madrid, runner-up last season, beat Juventus 1-0 through Arda Turan’s 75th-minute goal, and Malmo’s 2-0 victory against Olympiakos left Group A with all four teams on three points.

Zenit St. Petersburg and Monaco drew 0-0 to share the Group C lead with four points, while Bayer Leverkusen beat Benfica 3-1.

Ludogorets’ fans have to travel 335 kilometers (210 miles) to watch their team play at the national stadium in Sofia because the club’s 6,000-seat arena does not meet Champions League standards.

But the supporters soon had reason to celebrate after Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho headed in a cross flicked on to the far post.

Ronaldo had a 10th-minute penalty saved by goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov, but soon got a second chance to convert and close on Raul Gonzalez’s record of 71 Champions League goals in the group stage and knockout rounds. Ronaldo has scored 69 goals — not including one in a qualifying-round match — and leads Lionel Messi by one in what promises to be a season-long duel.

Veteran Basel forward Marco Streller has a more modest record yet his 52nd-minute strike against Liverpool followed his winning goal at Chelsea last season. Basel also eliminated Manchester United three seasons ago.

“It was a perfect evening,” said Basel coach Paulo Sousa, hailing a “win against an historic club like Liverpool.”

Arsenal is yet to be grouped with Basel, and struck a blow for the Premier League by extending Galatasaray’s winless streak in England to 10 matches.

On Arsene Wenger’s 18th anniversary as Arsenal manager, his two big offseason signings got goals to ease any anxiety caused by a group-opening 2-0 loss at Dortmund.

Danny Welbeck, signed from Manchester United at the transfer deadline, scored in the 22nd, 30th and 52nd minutes. Former Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez had made it 3-0 in the 41st.

Galatasaray’s fans rather than players offered fireworks in the first half. Play was briefly stopped before Sanchez’s goal to allow red smoke to clear after numerous flares were lit by the Turkish club’s fans.

Only when Szczesny was sent off, for bringing down Burak Yilmaz, did Galatasaray begin to threaten. Yilmaz sent the resulting 63rd-minute penalty past substitute goalkeeper David Ospina, signed after impressing for Colombia at the World Cup.

Dortmund again eased to victory, though had only Ciro Immobile’s third-minute goal to show for dominating the first half in Brussels. The Italy forward finished a pass from Japan playmaker Shinji Kagawa who, like Welbeck, was unwanted at Old Trafford by new manager Louis van Gaal.

Dortmund added two second-half goals from Adrian Ramos, another recruit from Colombia’s World Cup squad.

In a match of few chances in Madrid, Atletico scored a rare goal past Juventus ‘keeper Gianluigi Buffon when Turkey forward Turan connected at the far post.

Malmo was a European Cup finalist in 1979, but is playing in its first Champions League and made a winning home debut against Olympiakos when captain Markus Rosenberg scored late in each half.

“We’re strong at home and we’re not afraid,” Rosenberg said.

Zenit St. Petersburg and Monaco played out a drab 0-0 draw in Russia, leaving Leverkusen to do the entertaining in Group C.

The German side, which lost in Monaco last month, closed the gap with a comfortable win against visiting Benfica. Veteran forward Stefan Kiessling scored in the 25th , after Brazil ‘keeper Julio Cesar fumbled a shot by Son Heung-min, and the South Korea forward extended the lead nine minutes later.

After Benfica’s Eduardo Salvio pulled a goal back in the 62nd, Leverkusen restored its two-goal lead two minutes later when Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty.

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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