La Liga Week 21 Schedule, Fixtures, Table & Preview: Barcelona Faces Villarreal in Rematch, Real Madrid Without Cristiano Ronaldo

By Damon Salvadore Jan 30 2015, 13:06 PM EST

Another week of La Liga soccer is here.

Real Madrid is top of the standings, but they will be without their superstar goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended last week. Real Madrid will take on Real Sociedad, who is just 5-7-8 this season. Don't pencil this in as a sure win just yet. Real Sociedad defeated Real Madrid in Week 2, 4-2.

Real Madrid has an impressive 16-0-3 record giving them 48 points. With Ronaldo out for two games, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema will have to step up their game. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been playing well all season, but he'll be needed now more than ever.

Barcelona, who sits in second place with 47 points, will be facing Villarreal at home. Lionel Messi has been on a hot streak, scoring six goals in his last three games. Barcelona knows they have to take advantage of this great opportunity considering Ronaldo's absence. Villarreal is a great squad this year with an 11-5-4 record, and a strong defense.

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has been by far the best netminder in the league this season, allowing just nine goals in 20 games. Of course, all eyes will be on Messi, who has 21 goals and a league-leading 10 assists, but Neymar has provided an excellent second option this year with 14 goals of his own.

The defending Spanish league champions, Atletico Madrid, have been very inconsistent lately. Facing Eibar this week is a critical game for Atletico Madrid, who is now 14-2-4 with 44 points. A loss this week would be devastating for Atletico Madrid, and would further distance Real Madrid and Barcelona from the rest of the field. If Atletico Madrid does lose to Eibar, and Valencia defeats Malaga, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will be tied in the standings for third place.

Despite not having an elite superstar like Barcelona or Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid has a very balanced squad offensively. Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic have a combined 18 goals this season. Let's just hope Atletico Madrid doesn't throw any shoes this week.

The Monday game will feature Malaga and Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in front of more than 55,000 fans.

This will be a big test for Real Madrid. Playing without Ronaldo will show just how valuable he really is to the team, and what kind of plays coach Carlo Ancelotti can draw up. Colombian striker Rodriguez showed off his talents in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and now is his chance to show off just how good he can be for the next two games. With Messi and Barcelona on a winning streak, Real Madrid is under a lot of pressure.