Edinson Cavani became Paris Saint-Germain’s joint all-time leading scorer as the Ligue 1 leaders moved 11 points clear after thrashing Dijon at the Parc des Princes.

Cavani’s 156th PSG goal in all competitions took him level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he will be disappointed he didn’t break the record outright, such was the home side’s dominance.

Neymar also reached a couple of landmarks. The Brazil captain scored his first PSG hat-trick as part of a four-goal haul — with strikes after 42, 47 and 73 minutes, plus a late penalty. But it was his role in the second of two Angel Di Maria goals which saw him become the first player in any of Europe’s top five leagues to provide 10 assists this season.

Di Maria, who had earlier given PSG a fourth-minute lead, looked a little sheepish after latching onto a Neymar chip and poking home from very close range. But replays later confirmed that he had been right to intervene as the former Barcelona star’s lob would have bounced just wide had it been left.

After scoring the first two, Di Maria made the third as his right-footed cross was planted firmly into the net by Cavani, who celebrated like a man who has had his eye on Ibrahimovic’s record for some time.

It was 4-0 before half-time thanks to a well-placed Neymar free-kick, which left goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet rooted to the spot.

PSG’s dominance continued after the break and Neymar joined Di Maria on two goals for the night as PSG punished an error by Cedric Yambere to reach the five-goal mark in a game for the ninth time this season.

Di Maria appeared a little frustrated to be denied a hat-trick when he was replaced by substitute Kylian Mbappe midway through the second half.

Neymar was not to be denied though and he completed his trio of goals with a fine solo effort, before registering his 11th Ligue 1 assist of the season to allow Mbappe a piece of the pie.

Cavani won a late penalty when he was fouled by Yambere but, despite the home fans booing Neymar and urging him to stand aside to give his fellow South American the chance to break Ibrahimovic’s record, the Brazilian pulled rank and converted expertly.

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Edinson Cavani reflected on the impact of a potentially crucial point after his last-ditch equaliser earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-2 draw at Marseille.

PSG had twice trailed in Le Classique and then saw Neymar sent off, before Cavani stepped up to secure a share of the spoils with a stunning stoppage-time free-kick.

After a hectic game at the crackling Stade Velodrome, Cavani called for his side to keep working hard and improving as they look to regain the Ligue 1 crown they lost to Monaco last season.

“It was an important goal because the match was approaching the end,” he told Canal+. “It was hard to play; there was a good atmosphere.

“This is an important point, but we must continue to improve and to work.”

While the visitors’ emotions were of joy, Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda could not hide his dismay at the late leveller.

“We really thought we could win this game, we did the right things from start to finish,” he said.

“We worked on the flanks, we put the effort in together and we remained compact. This cruel free-kick in the last minute kills us a little.

“If we had been offered this result before the game, we would have taken it immediately but, given the pattern of the game, it is [a feeling of] disappointment that prevails.”

Team-mate Adil Rami added: “At least we have proved that, if we play with this mentality, we can be at the top of the table.”

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Edinson Cavani has reiterated his claim that there is no bad blood with Neymar after a row over a penalty earlier this season, but the striker also hinted at little warmth off the field between the two Paris Saint-Germain stars.

Neymar, who became the world’s most expensive player when he joined PSG from Barcelona for €222million in August, argued with Cavani over the right to take a spot kick against Lyon in Ligue 1 last month.

The Uruguayan centre-forward overruled the expensive new arrival but missed from 12 yards, although his failure to convert the opportunity did not prevent the hosts from registering a comfortable 2-0 victory.

That public disagreement sparked rumours of a rift between the big-name attackers and, while Cavani has claimed there are no ill-feelings in the dressing room, the 30-year-old also implied he is unlikely to socialise with his fellow South American away from the club.

“That’s in the past,” he told SFR Sport when asked about the penalty incident. “These are things that happen in football.

“We must find the solution together and function as a team.

“We need to be a competitive team, but we do not need to be friends.

“You have to be professional, and afterwards everyone has their own life.”

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Edinson Cavani wants to leave PSG and join Manchester City after falling out with team-mate Neymar, according to a report in Spain.

Don Balon claim that the Uruguayan is keen to sign for Pep Guardiola’s side because he believes he will get more chances to score than at any other club.

Cavani and Neymar had a public falling out after arguing over penalty and free-kick duties during a 2-0 victory over Lyon earlier this season.

The pair appeared to have put their differences aside in recent weeks, but the Spanish newspaper say that Cavani remains determined to leave France.

Cavani believes his spat with Neymar has ‘harmed him’, with Don Balon claiming that the former Napoli forward will depart PSG ‘sooner or later’.

The 30-year-old is said to have told club officials that he wants to choose his next destination, with Premier League leaders City his No 1 pick.

Real Madrid are also believed to be interested in signing Cavani in January, although that could depend on the goalscoring form of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

Cavani is said to have considered linking up with Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, but currently sees a move to the Etihad as his most attractive option.

However, with Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero in scintillating form so far this season, it remains to be seen whether Guardiola will target another striker during the January transfer window.

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Edinson Cavani has drawn a line under his fallout with Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar after their penalty row.

The pair clashed over spot-kick duties in the 2-0 win over Lyon last month, with tensions reportedly high between the pair in the dressing room afterwards.

It was claimed that the Parisians were willing to offer the Uruguayan £880k to give up penalty-taking duties to the world record arrival.

But Cavani insists the pair have called it quits and insists the row was blown out of proportion.

He said: “It’s football stuff. Sometimes things get so big. The truth is that everyone is aware that things have become bigger than they are.

“These are things you discuss in the locker room. Everything has a solution. It’s all relaxed now.

“It is important that everyone strives for the same goal.”

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The pair had sparked suggestions of disharmony after their on-pitch spat over who took a penalty in their 2-0 win over Lyon in Ligue 1, but they combined intuitively as Unai Emery’s side demolished the German champions’ defence in a one-sided Group B encounter.

Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti, returning to his old club for the first time since guiding PSG to the title in 2012-13, saw his side punished for a slow start when Dani Alves opened the scoring in the second minute.

Cavani made it 2-0 after half an hour with his 10th goal in as many games and the result was put beyond doubt with just over an hour played when Neymar scored from close range.

Emery will have been delighted to see his side bounce back from a disappointing draw at Montpellier four days earlier and put on a display of sumptuous attacking football against one of Europe’s best sides, having won their opening Champions League clash 5-0 against Celtic.

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Edinson Cavani asked Neymar if he thought he was Lionel Messi when he walked into the PSG dressing room for the first time, according to a new report.

The Uruguayan and £198million world record signing clearly don’t see eye-to-eye after their recent rift over penalty and free-kick taking responsibilities unfolded, but it seems their first exchange wasn’t much better either.

According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Cavani made a shocking first impression on his new team-mate following his stunning move from Barcelona.

‘And who is this? Do you think you’re (Lionel) Messi?’, the striker reportedly asked when Neymar first entered the dressing room.

Whether Cavani was joking or was intending to insult the new arrival remains unclear, but while Neymar was seemingly attempting a leap of faith out of the shadow of his former Barcelona team-mate, he probably didn’t take it too well.

The alleged comment has only added more fuel to the fire, with PSG continuing to negotiate a truce between the two forwards.

Cavani, now in his fifth season with the French giants, has proven to be a fan-favourite at the Parc des Princes but could well be forced out of contention given the huge fee paid Neymar’s services, plus the £166m to be paid next summer to Monaco for Kylian Mbappe.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is believed to have put six of his first-team up for sale during the summer in an attempt to balance his books.

Captain Thiago Silva, Angel di Maria, Julian Draxler, Lucas Moura, Javier Pastore and Hatem Ben-Arfa were all said to be available should the right offer arrive.

His efforts though, were incredibly unsuccessful, managing to only offload Aurier to Tottenham and Matuidi to Juventus, while suffering yet more set-backs in his efforts to restore order to his PSG team.

Al-Khelaifi has reportedly offered Cavani €1m to forfeit penalty taking responsibilities to Neymar, an offer which swiftly rejected by the forward.

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Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani reportedly turned down a potential €1 million bonus to allow team-mate Neymar to take penalties.

According to El Pais, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was ready to offer the Uruguay striker an improved deal on the basis the Brazilian would be on set-piece duties and that Cavani finished the Ligue 1 season as the competition’s top goalscorer, but the PSG No. 9 turned down the offer.

El Pais reported there is an “atmosphere of tension” in the PSG dressing room between the South American superstars. Ben Grounds of MailOnline provided more details of what is included in the report.

“Cavani, according to El Pais, is not interested in being given extra money and is refusing to change his stance on being the penalty-taker, believing that as the club’s third captain in line, he has responsibilities he must shoulder,” Grounds wrote.

Spanish football journalist Colin Millar also relayed segments of the report, including suggestions Dani Alves held a “reconciliation” dinner that was akin to a “funeral”:

There has been a focus on Neymar and Cavani since a recent 2-0 win over Olympique Lyonnais, as the duo could be seen bickering over who should take a penalty. The latter got his way, but the pair had to be separated from one another in the dressing room after the match, according to L’Equipe.

The issue has been a major blemish on an otherwise positive spell for PSG. After all, there is so much excitement at the club following the summer acquisitions of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

PSG had started the 2017-18 campaign well, but they were disappointing on Saturday in the 0-0 draw against Montpellier HSC; Neymar sat out the match with a knock. As Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC noted, it wasn’t the best day for Cavani.

While tension between big personalities is understandable in a competitive environment, the issue appears to have extended beyond a simple disagreement. Those in positions of power at the club will consequently be keen to smooth over any angst that lingers.

On the field, things have been positive for the pair, as they have showcased encouraging signs in terms of their linkup play. But for PSG supporters, the relationship between two of their star forwards represents a concern and something that will be focused on in the weeks to come.

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The Uruguayan grabbed the ball first before the Brazilian motioned that he wanted to strike the spot kick.

El Matador resisted the former Barcelona star’s attempts after confidently converting one the week before against Celtic.

But this time he failed with Anthony Lopes palming the powerful effort on to the cross bar, before claiming it as it ricocheted back down towards the turf.

Speculation has since swirled in the Spanish press that Neymar has already pushed for Cavani to be sold, flexing his muscles after PSG handed him the keys to their project in order to convince him to leave the Camp Nou.

That would appear unlikely, at least at this stage, given Cavani’s prolific form in front of goal and Unai Emery’s plans to build around the deadly front trio.

Cavani can boast the best record of the two over their careers, converting 80 percent of his 57 penalties, scoring 46 and missing 11.

While Neymar has a 74 percent success rate, scoring 49 of his 66 penalties, missing 17, but Emery’s solution may well be, for now, to alternate. It raises the question as to what will happen if, say hypothetically, it is Cavani’s, and not Neymar’s, turn with the game tied in the Champions League final.

The row could have been sparked by Cavani’s awareness that Neymar could threaten his end-of-season bonus.

PSG paid him €1m for being the club’s top scorer last season and with the Brazilian likely to weigh in with a sizeable amount himself, Cavani will want to pad his total with penalty duties.

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The Brazilian striker took exception to Cavani taking a penalty in the 2-0 win against Lyon and their dispute continued after the game as they had to be separated in the dressing room.

With a tricky situation developing between two of the club’s most important players, L’Equipe claim Unai Emery, sporting director Antero Henrique and team coordinator Maxwell will meet to find the best solution.

The French publication called the relationship between the frontmen an ‘ego war’ and assert that club are keen to ensure their reputation is not tarnished by a high-profile squabble.

Since the weekend, PSG players have been allowed two days off.

But now the squad are back in training ahead of Saturday’s trip to Montpellier, the powers that be are to attempt to find a resolution which appeases both superstars.

Neymar’s latest Instagram story might suggest an amicable outcome can easily be reached as he wrote: ‘We wish no one badly,’ which could be directed at Cavani.

But there is still the question of which prolific forward will be handed responsibility at set-pieces.

Having joined the club for £198m, smashing the world transfer record, there is a feeling that Neymar commands a greater authority than the Uruguayan.

But Cavani has been an integral part of PSG’s growth and success since joining the side from Napoli four years ago.

It will be fascinating to see whether the strikeforce can find a way to work together in what could be the most lethal attacking line in Europe alongside Kylian Mbappe.

When the Parisian club next find themselves with a spot kick, fans will discover where the power lies and which ego has been sated by the club.

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