Anis Ben Hatira and Genki Haraguchi scored for Hertha but two late goals in the first and second half from Leroy Sane and Joel Matip ensured a point for Di Matteo's side.
Schalke had the best opportunities of the first half. Thomas Kraft brilliantly denied Klaas Jan Huntelaar tipping round the post after fifteen minutes. Prior to that, Max Meyer failed to test Kraft following a corner he scuffed his shot wide. Fuchs picked out the corner with brilliant accuracy but Kraft brilliantly parried it out of the corner.
But following Schalke’s heavy pressure, it was the hosts Hertha Berlin who opened the scoring. Wellenreuther saved Valetin Stocker cut inside onto his left foot his shot but the rebound fell to Ben-Hatira who was on hand to volley home the opening goal.
However, with five minutes till the half time break. Schalke youngster Leroy Sane equalised for Di Matteo’s side. The youngster burst onto his left foot on the far side shrugging off three Hertha Berlin challenges and cheekily lofting it over the diving Kraft.
The second half was even, when times got desperate nearing the dying stages of the match Schalke looked likelier of scoring which they did in the dying seconds through Joel Matip.
The visitors Schalke edged the first half for dominance but the two sides went in 1-1 at the break.
A minute after the restart Ben-Hatira had a chance to net a second but the angle was tight but that didn’t phase him and his effort came agonizingly close to making it two nil.
Schalke applied some pressure of their own, Huntelaar had a chance from the right side but he failed to pick out either side and strikes straight into Kraft’s arm. Goal scorer Leroy Sané tried picking out the near post but he failed to test Kraft.
Genki Haraguchi cut inside on his right and tried his luck from range but Wellenreuther only had to keep his position and caught easily. He then got on the scoresheet nine-minutes from time. Same as the first goal, Valetin Stocker had his shot saved by Wellenreuther but the young keeper fumbled it straight into Karaguchi’s path who finished from five yards out.
Schalke were getting desperate in the final minutes, Kevin Prince Boateng met Barnetta’s cross but his shot was blocked then Höwedes failed to divert his header on target then Matip swooped in back post and fluffed an absolute sitter. In the remaining minutes, Goretzka tried bending into the top corner but he caught the shot wrong and Kraft was equal.
But in the dying seconds Matip made no mistake with his header from the penalty spot, Kraft could only push it into the net.