Sure, but when it comes to cookies, consent is almost always required on the GDPR basis (other legal basis are rarely working).
You're right to point to e-privacy, to which consent is central. But the latest draft of its new version states that (art.8): 1.The use of processing and storage capabilities of terminal equipment and the collection of information from end-users’ terminal equipment, including about its software and hardware, other than by the end-user concerned shall be prohibited, except on the following grounds: [...] (d)it is necessary for audience measuring, provided that such measurement is carried out by the provider of the information society service requested by the end-user or by a third party, or by third parties jointly,on behalf of theone or more providersof the information society service provided that conditions laid down in Article 28, or where applicable Article 26,of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 are met
So Matomo can still do without the user consent (from what I understand, the relation between GDPR and e-privacy is no easy business).