BERLIN, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich cannot afford to keep living by the saying that charity begins at home when they play local rivals TSV 1860 Munich in the German Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Bayern should have had the Bundesliga title all but secured by now but they have let direct rivals off the hook in their last two league games at the Allianz Arena, managing only draws with Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV.

They remain well placed, with a four-point lead after 21 games, but they should be even better off and coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will demand a touch more ruthlessness for Wednesday’s city derby against their groundshare partners.

“We had Hamburg under control on Sunday yet we let two points slip,” Hitzfled told reporters after the 1-1 draw. “It’s very annoying.”

Second division 1860 Munich, nominally the away team on Wednesday, warmed up for the Cup derby with a goalless draw away to Cologne, a result that leaves them four points away from the promotion places.

There will be two other second division sides bidding for semi-final places when ambitious 1899 Hoffenheim visit Borussia Dortmund and Carl Zeiss Jena play at VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday.

The other quarter-final is an all-Bundesliga affair on Wednesday between VfL Wolfsburg and Hamburg.