Maurizio Lagana/Getty ImagesMbaye Niang, 17, celebrates after his first goal for Milan

After stumbling their way past Reggina with a 3-0 win Thursday night, Milan booked their place in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals and secured a meeting with rivals Juventus in January. With the Scudetto undoubtedly out of their reach and the Champions League all but a dream, the Coppa arguably represents Milan's only chance of silverware this season.

If that is the case, should Massimiliano Allegri field the strongest possible team at his disposal, thus sacrificing giving certain youngsters a chance to shine?

Having said that, the game will largely be remembered for the introduction of 17-year-old summer signing Mbaye Niang, who came off the bench in the second half to score his first goal for the club. Sporting a conspicuous hairstyle much like several of his teammates, the young Frenchman immediately settled into the game and capped his performance off with a composed finish.

Such was the impact of his introduction. La Gazzetta dello Sport gave him a special mention on the front page Friday morning, stating that the ‘youngster scores and entertains’. Perhaps it is wise to take that with a pinch of salt considering the poor quality of the game, especially in the first half.

However, there were also premature comparisons being made between the Frenchman and Milan transfer target Mario Balotelli. Quite rightly, Allegri dismissed this notion and warned that his new star needs space to grow and gave assurances that he will certainly be given more opportunities.

"We’ve lost in the semifinal in the previous two seasons, first against Palermo and then least season against Juventus," Allegri told reporters before the game.

Clearly irked that he has failed to reach the final of the competition since he took charge of Milan, Allegri will perhaps be feeling under a little more pressure this season to deliver. He has overseen an upturn in league results, and still emphasizes the importance of finishing the calendar year with two wins. However, successive seasons without a trophy (the Italian Super Cup aside), is perhaps not good enough for a Milan coach.

Third place should now be achievable - the Rossoneri are starting to put themselves in a position to threaten the likes of Napoli, Lazio and Roma in the new year. A Chelsea-esque miracle aside, the Champions League is realistically worth just enjoying as long as the campaign lasts, with the draw for the last 16 set to take place next Friday.

Therefore, all that is left is the Coppa Italia. Just 3,661 turned up for Thursday's game, giving us an insight into perhaps how unattractive the opposition were particularly when considering the weather conditions. However, is it also an indication of the interest, or lack thereof, in the competition?

With the seeding system guaranteeing big clashes in the latter stages each year, it is perplexing as to why some clubs and fans don’t give it more respect. The second-leg clash with Juve last season was one of the most entertaining cup games in recent memory.

Not looking beyond Juventus, it is imperative the club as a whole take the competition seriously this season. Personally I would like to see a full-strength team in Turin with a view to going one better than the previous two seasons.

It may not be a major trophy in the eyes of many, but Champions League qualification and a trophy wouldn’t be such a bad season after all.

Has the Coppa Italia become a more serious competition for you this season? Should Milan do everything they can to win it or are they better off conserving energy for the league and Europe?

For all the latest Milan and Serie A news, you can follow me on Twitter @italiafooty

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