Neymar scores 4 as PSG crushes Dijon 8-0; Lyon wins 2-0

PARIS 

Neymar scored four goals and set up two more as French league leader Paris Saint-Germain crushed Dijon 8-0 on Wednesday.

The pick of Neymar's goals was a superb first-half free kick which goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet did not even move for as it flew into the top right corner. The Brazil star set up PSG's second goal for Angel Di Maria — a tap in — and the seventh for substitute Kylian Mbappe.

Neymar coolly made it 8-0 from the penalty spot.

He earned the free kick from which he scored, too, getting chopped down following a mazy run in the 42nd minute. Neymar has scored 15 goals in 15 league games since joining for a world record 222 million euros ($262 million) from Barcelona this summer.

"It was a stroll for him," PSG right back Thomas Meunier said. "Whenever he gets on the ball, the opponents have a real sense of fear."

Strangely he did not look happy at the end, shaking his head solemnly as he left the field at Parc des Princes.

Di Maria, meanwhile, signaled his fine return to form with the opening two goals — the first a magnificent curling strike from the left of the area into the top right corner — and then set up striker Edinson Cavani to make it 3-0 after just 21 minutes.

Cavani's firm header moved him level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the club's all-time leading scorer with 156 goals. He could even have broken the record if Neymar had let him take the penalty.

No chance.

Cavani moved toward Neymar gingerly, but Neymar completely blanked him — drawing some jeers from PSG fans — placed the ball on the spot and sent Reynet the wrong way. Earlier this season, the pair had argued over a penalty, with Cavani refusing to let Neymar take it and then missing .

That incident, amusingly known as Penalty-gate, still seems to linger.

PSG is 11 points clear of second-place Lyon at the top. Marseille is 12 points behind while defending champion Monaco trails by 13 in fourth spot.

It already seems glaringly obvious that those three teams are already fighting for second place. PSG has lost only once in 21 games and already has a goal difference of + 52, which is almost double Lyon's.

Goals are flowing from everywhere — with Di Maria netting five in his last four games.

Cavani's 156 for PSG have come in 226 games since he joined from Napoli in the summer of 2013 for a then-club record of 64 million euros ($76 million).

By comparison, Ibrahimovic scored his in 180 games. He left after the 2015-16 season, after which Cavani came into his own — having often been pushed out wide right to accommodate the Swedish star.

Neymar's other goals were in the 57th and 73rd.

"We knew we would suffer, but not as much as this," Dijon midfielder Jordan Marie said.

It was PSG's record home win, although it won 9-0 away to Troyes two seasons ago.

Lyon faces a tall order keeping Neymar quiet when PSG visits on Sunday.

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FEKIR IN FORM

Nabil Fekir's 15th goal of the season helped Lyon win 2-0 win away to Guingamp.

He pounced in the 26th minute with a low shot from Maxwell Cornet's pass. The roaming forward's previous best league tally was 13, three seasons ago, before a serious knee injury. He is now in the best form of his career and pushing to be included in France's World Cup squad later this year.

Houssem Aouar, one of the rising stars in the French league, sealed the win in the 58th. The 19-year-old midfielder ran onto a pass over the top from defender Ferland Mendy and finished confidently.

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OTHER MATCHES

Fifth-place Nantes drew 1-1 away to struggling Toulouse after conceding an equalizer five minutes into injury time.

Forward Max-Alain Gradel calmly converted the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, to secure a vital point for 19th-place Toulouse.

Montpellier missed the chance to climb up to seventh after drawing 1-1 away to Amiens. Senegalese striker Moussa Konate equalized for Amiens midway through the second half.

Midfielder Benjamin Andre scored in the 89th minute as ninth-place Rennes grabbed two late goals to win 2-1 away to Lille.

Angers moved out of the relegation zone after defender Romain Thomas scored twice in a 3-1 home win against Troyes, which dropped into the bottom three.

Metz remains in last place but its strikers are finding some form. Emmanuel Riviere and Nolan Roux scored against their former side Saint-Etienne in a 3-0 home win.