Below the Radar Analysis

Image: Femke Kruize By: Kees van Hemmen A couple of months ago I wrote on Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech  and how he was well overdue for a big money transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. At the end of the January window, he finally got his move. It was a long time coming, as Ziyech had long outgrown the Eredivisie. Now, at the risk of beating the Ajax talent treasure trove to death, I’d like to direct your attention towards the Dutch giant’s other under-appreciated superstar: Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. Onana, now 23, has been the first-choice keeper for Ajax since the 2016-17 club season, and for the length of that time he’s been a reliable presence between the sticks for the Eredivisie leaders. However, starting last season, Onana elevated his play to truly world class heights. Publicly available xG2 or post-shot xG data is essentially non-existent for the Dutch Eredivisie, unfortunately. However, what we can look at are Onana’s Champions League numbers. And boy are t