Barcelona 27, Atlético 25, Real Madrid 24: LaLiga's top three all play this weekend

Three points separate LaLiga's top three before matchday 11, and all three are in action this weekend. Barcelona lead with 27 points from ten games, Atlético Madrid have 25 and Real Madrid 24. Atlético play first: a win at Levante on Saturday at 14:00 Spanish time would put them top until Barcelona host Alavés at 21:00. Real Madrid follow at Racing Santander on Sunday at 16:15.

The table shows why the race is so tight. Barcelona have scored 40 league goals, 15 more than any other side, but their only league defeat came in the last round, 2-1 at home to Real Madrid in the Clásico. Atlético have conceded eight, one more than Celta Vigo's league-best seven, and Real Madrid won every game they played in October, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Atlético: Levante away, Saturday

Diego Simeone's side have won six league games in a row, the last a 1-0 against Deportivo settled by Julián Alvarez, Espacio Diario reports. Levante, 14th with 10 points, have not beaten Atlético since May 2016. Captain Koke and midfielder Johnny Cardoso are still out, while centre-back Cuti Romero returns after a muscle strain, according to Mundo Deportivo. Asked about the ups and downs at the top, Simeone said: "I don't want to focus on other teams." He added: "Those who manage to get out of difficult moments fastest are the ones who end up competing to win."

Barcelona: Alavés at home, Saturday

Hansi Flick's side come off two straight defeats, against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and then in the Clásico, and are without four defenders: Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia and Xavi Espart, who went off injured after half an hour against Madrid. "At the moment we only have two centre-backs available, Gerard Martín and Pau Cubarsí," Flick said on Friday, adding that Frenkie de Jong can also play there. In Friday's training, Mundo Deportivo reports, he tried a back four of Brian Fariñas, Cubarsí, De Jong and João Cancelo. Alavés, seventh with 12 points, have conceded 11 league goals, as many as Barcelona. "I am 100% convinced of my team," Flick said.

Real Madrid: Racing away, Sunday

José Mourinho's side go to El Sardinero still without the suspended Vinícius Júnior. Fede Valverde left the Clásico in the 62nd minute with discomfort in the back of his right thigh and Arda Güler had a slight muscle overload; both trained apart from the group on Wednesday and Thursday, the club said. OKDiario reported on Friday that Güler and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who missed the Clásico with flu, trained fully, and that Valverde is due back with the group on Saturday.

Racing are 13th with 11 points and have conceded 26 goals, the most in LaLiga. Their main threat is Yassir Zabiri, 21 and on loan from Rennes, who has scored eight of Racing's 15 league goals, none of them penalties. Kylian Mbappé has 11 of Madrid's 25 and reached 100 goals for the club in 116 games with his Clásico double. Mourinho set the tone that night: "If we win today and lose at El Sardinero, today's win no longer carries the same weight, because Real Madrid don't play to win at the Camp Nou. Real Madrid play to win championships." After Racing, Madrid play AEK in Athens on Wednesday and Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday.