Friday Football Tips: Take a punt on Payet

Marseille v Strasbourg
Friday 30 April, 20:00 BST kick-off
Live on BT Sport 3

We go again, as the football saying goes, and after a near miss on Thursday we're back in the shots market as Marseille continue their European push at home against Strasbourg.

L'OM have been in great nick under new coach Jorge Sampaoli, winning 16 points from his first seven games at the helm - that's the best Ligue 1 start at the club since Marcelo Bielsa's days in the south of France.

They've been in the goals too during their recent four-game unbeaten spin, while at home they've won four in a row and five out of six in their resurgence following a three-game losing skid.

Key to their recent run has been the stunning form of Dimitri Payet, who has come alive under Sampaoli and scored some top-quality goals of late.

The former West Ham man has been banging in worldies for fun and after a barren run he's exploded into life, with three goals and two assists in his last couple of games.

He's got five assists in his last four games and with seven tackles during that spell it shows that he's fully invested in their turnaround, and very much the man you want to have on your side right now.

Payet tends to perform well in bunches, so we're hoping his hot-streak can continue on Friday night when backing him to have two shots on target at a healthy-looking 6.511/2.

As the odds suggest, this hasn't been a regular outcome this season, with Payet hitting the target twice in just two games previous to his recent run.

But he's managed it in back-to-back games now though with two and four in his last two outings, and he can have a big say in the game again on Friday.

Strasbourg have only lost one of their last five away league games so will be tough to break down, but this Marseille side are flying and a deep defensive unit to face only plays into Payet's shooting prowess even more.

He can come up trumps for us here.