Ajax stronger without De Ligt, Schone and De Jong - Onana

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana believes they are stronger and better with their performances this season despite losing key players in the summer.

Following their fairytale run to the Uefa Champions League semi-final last campaign, the Sons of Gods parted ways with some of their players, with Matthijs de Ligt and Lasse Schone moving to Italy to join Juventus and Genoa, respectively, while Frenkie de Jong headed to Barcelona.

The trio's departure has not stopped Ajax from dominating the Eredivisie as they are yet to taste defeat in the Dutch top-flight this campaign, winning 12 and drawing two of their 14 games.

Their only defeat so far this season came in a Champions League group game against Chelsea in Amsterdam but it does not stop Onana from praising the spirit and "power" in the team.

"Of course, Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Lasse Schöne left, but the majority of the team remained intact. The heart remained," Onana told Voetbal International.

"Listen, if a good goalkeeper or a high-scoring striker leaves, the team has a bigger problem. Matthijs and Frenkie are becoming very big football players, I am very happy for them to be with Juventus and Barcelona, ​​but in a team they are a bit easier to replace.

"Joel Veltman is doing fantastic and Lisandro Martinez in midfield too. I think we are even better now than last season. With this team I dare to go everywhere, we are not afraid of any team. We always want to attack, but if we only have to defend, then we will.

“If we didn’t have the ball last season, that would be a problem. Not anymore. We are literally stronger and we all have more experience. It is as if we have added something new. Power.

"We are more powerful. When we went to Chelsea, after sixty minutes it was 1-4 for us … Do you understand how good we were? We fought with them in their house, went at high speed and felt the pressure. I stood in the goal and thought: Wow, wow, wow, what’s happening here? That is the level that we can achieve with this team. And with nine people we showed character, we showed the world what Ajax stands for. We attacked and almost scored the winning goal. ”

Ajax are joint-leaders of Champions League Group H, level on points with Chelsea and Valencia, after gathering seven points from four outings.

On Wednesday, Onana will be hoping to steer Erik ten Hag's side to their third win when they visit Lille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.