Goals from Bale and Dani Carvajal secured victory for 'Los Blancos', with the Welshman's performance in general catching his manager's eye.
"I liked the team's performance in general and Bale had a very good match," Lopetegui enthused.
"He offers lots of different things, like the other players. We must continue working, the team always comes before individual talent and that goes for Bale too."
The win ensured the European champions bounced back at the first attempt following their UEFA Super Cup defeat to City rivals Atletico Madrid in the week, though in truth they still weren't at their best.
"We're satisfied with the win and happy because the team did a lot right. There's still room for improvement at this stage of the season, as with all teams.
"We played with intensity, played as a team and scored two goals against a side who had the third-best defensive record last season and who came here and made things difficult."