La Liga schedule and preview, Week 11: Real Madrid look to stay at the top

Things changed a lot at the top of La Liga last week, as Barcelona suffered a shocking home defeat against Celta Vigo, dropping the Blaugrana all the way down to fourth place behind Real Madrid, Valencia and Atlético Madrid. While things remain close -- just two points separate Barca and Real Madrid -- it's a whole new world in La Liga as we move into November with five teams in the title picture.

Real Madrid will look to stay on top of the league this week as they host Rayo Vallecano on Saturday at the Bernabéu. Rayo are fairly average this season but they've been able to score goals, while also giving up even more in the process. Given Madrid's sometimes shaky defense, it's not crazy to think Rayo could give the leaders a good match.

Barcelona will look to rebound in league play on the road against Almeria. Their win over Ajax during the midweek probably helped the team's confidence, but it's really hard to predict what this Barca team will do at this point. Lionel Messi still needs just one goal to equal Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga record, but Messi also needs a rest. It will be interesting to see if Luis Enrique sits down the Argentine.

Valencia faces off against an improving Athletic Club side that upset Sevilla last weekend, while Atlético Madrid faces Real Sociedad. La Real, who are stuck in 19th place, fired manager Jagoba Arrasate on Monday and have yet to replace him.

Almería vs. Barcelona | 10 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. CEST

Getafe vs. Elche | 12 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CEST

Celta Vigo vs. Granada | 4 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. CEST

Sevilla vs. Levante | 6 a.m. ET, 12 p.m. CEST

Espanyol vs. Villarreal | 11 a.m. ET, 5 p.m. CEST