Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino rely on power of faith to seize Champions League salvation in Barcelona

The Argentine's unwavering belief in his players proved decisive as they secured a vital point at the Nou Camp

Mauricio Pochettino was a relieved man as Tottenham reached the Champions League last 16 (Getty)

Amid all of the happiness after claiming that crucial point in Barcelona, Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t quite let one seemingly minor point go.

He downright insisted that he had never described Tottenham’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League last 16 as “impossible”.

“I always said anything is possible in football if you have the faith and quality,” he explained. “I never said it was impossible. It’s a massive achievement for this group of players and the club. I am so happy. No-one believed in us after three games.”

Except, of course, themselves.

Pochettino, for his part, is right. After a 2-2 draw against PSV in Eindhoven that looked like it had doomed Spurs, he merely said, “it’s probably impossible to advance to the next round”.

Lucas Moura celebrates after scoring Tottenham's decisive goal against Barcelona (Reuters)

Not definitively, and the difference is more than mere pedantry, or now a bit of revisionism as it suits.

It is actually highly important, because it was really that belief - no matter how slight, how optimistic - that carried Spurs through.

That is one the genuine differences with this Tottenham team, and why they keep persevering, keep succeeding where they used to fail.

Pochettino spent the week effectively convincing his players that, no, this wasn’t impossible just because it was Barca. It was a highly achievable feat.

Some said it seemed at times as if his conviction was bordering on delusion and, even if it was forced or performed, that was part of it.

Pochettino's greatest show of faith at the Nou Camp was in youngster Kyle Walker-Peters (Reuters)

It had a tangible effect, ensuring the Spurs players went into every individual moment with greater application, greater intensity.

It was why Kyle Walker-Peters could recover from the kind of error that can really check young careers to later execute a block on a Philippe Coutinho shot that proved crucial.

It was why the sight of Lionel Messi coming on didn’t bring what could have been a costly caution to their game. It was why they played with such adventure at the Camp Nou.

It was why missing so many chances didn’t make them think it was going to be one of those nights, but instead fostered the belief - the faith - that one of them would be enough.

So it was. The belief paid off.

“In football, everything is possible if you have the belief,” Pochettino argued.

That was proven true. He has underlined how important it is to change the very mindset of a club, to get them thinking in a different way.

And it of course meant that, when Harry Kane was asked who he wants in the next round, he genuinely didn’t mind. Spurs believe they can get past anyone, that they can break ground for the club in this competition again.

They’ve already done, after all, what seemed “probably impossible”. But not definitively impossible.