On a Tuesday evening across European football, two of the continent's most storied clubs reaffirmed their standing in the Champions League group stage — each through a distinct expression of excellence. Manchester City leaned on the singular brilliance of Erling Haaland, whose two goals spoke to the quiet inevitability of a striker at the height of his powers, while Real Madrid demonstrated the older wisdom of patience and punishment, dismantling Inter Milan not through spectacle but through the ruthless exploitation of error. These results are less surprises than confirmations — reminders tha